Beloved Memories, in Notes
by mimiplaysgames
Summary: There is no mistaking that Aqua and Terra have been through a lot together. This is leaflet of stories that depict camaraderie, friendship, and love as Terra and Aqua grow up, make mistakes, and learn together. Being in love with your best friend isn't easy when trying to be a Keyblade Master. Ratings vary, K-T. Prequel to Strength to Protect the Things That Matter.
1. Volume I: A Tale of Awareness

**Summary: _A_** _qua and Terra have been friends for a long time,_ _  
endlessly practicing and studying for the cultivation of their efforts - the title of Keyblade Master.  
While their relationship has always been comfortable and close, Aqua realizes that the way she has been seeing him has been changing. Now, she is left with trying to define what that means._ _  
_ _Terra is 18 in this chapter, Aqua is 17._ ** _  
Rating: T  
_**

* * *

It was the aroma of the ginger tea and his touch that awoke her.

Aqua had slumped over a desk in the library, on top of an open book when Terra stopped by with some of his own brewed mixture. He rustled through her hair to wake her.

She took a sharp inhale, rubbed her eyes, and found the tea that he offered her. He shook his head gently with a _tsk-tsk_ , as though to say that she was being naughty by sleeping on her studies.

But this was always their flow. Genuine support for each other that hid behind constant teasing.

Aqua gave a slight hum as she drank it, which was strong in the kick of flavor, and she was grateful he brought it to her. Yet this was to be expected. He always brought her tea late at night.

"Where is Ven?" she asked.

"Out slaying some dragon." He took a seat in front of her.

"I think I'm too tired for your sass, tonight," she said, her voice raspy.

Terra let out a soft laugh. "In his dreams, tucked away in his bed." He smiled at her, and this woke her up a little more than the tea did.

He brought a couple of his own books and opened one, although he paid no attention to it.

"Whatever you were reading must have been so exciting," he said.

Aqua placed her hand on the page she was on and closed the book to reveal a large leather cover with carved designs.

" _The Affairs of the Heart_ ," she read.

"How romantic." His eyes were focused on the page in front of him, but his attention was clearly somewhere else.

"Like you'd know. Have you even read this one? It's one of our mandatories."

Terra looked up at her, his gaze focused and confident. He had that small, adorable smirk she always knew him to carry whenever he was going to start getting cocky.

" _Ye heart is delicate and tangible, and thou must lifteth ye Key-sword bequeathed to ye in honor, for thy Key-sword shall ne'er be wielded to perform betwixt lyght and dark_ ," he said as he enunciated his words in order to sound fancy.

Aqua tried to control her laughter but it came out instead as a snort.

" _And all ye Key-sword bless-ed shall journey on behalf of the lyght, yea verily, and bringeth peace instilled upon all thine hearts shared_ ," he continued as she laughed.

"That sounds pretty much right," she said.

"I guess so, I think I made half of that up."

"You want to see what I found?" she asked, her eyes lighting up. She grabbed a book from a stack that she built next to her. Terra took the same mug he offered her and drank a large gulp.

She sifted through the pages and then turned the book towards him.

"Look at this," she said as she pointed to a specific spice among a list of them.

Terra tried to read the word out loud, but had trouble with it.

"Turmeric," she corrected. "Apparently, I can make a cake with this."

He was intrigued. "A spice cake?"

Aqua relished at his interest, always needing an opportunity to share this kind of excitement with him.

"Yes! And look here. There is this interesting spice..." she turned the book back towards her. "Hy-sso-pus. Hyssopus. It seems like I can use this one to mix with others for our meat dishes or something."

She continued. "Oh! And another one..." She quickly turned some pages. "Annatto."

"Where would you find all of these?" He set the mug down.

Aqua sighed. "Somewhere out there." She gestured with her head to the stars outside the large, ornate windows of the library. "It would probably take me _years_ to find them, but I would _love_ to be able to play with them now."

Terra let out a small half-sigh, half-chuckle. "Maybe when you are allowed to go on your own missions next year, you'll have the time to search for them."

Terra was eighteen, while Aqua was seventeen. They had just passed their preliminary exams, and were on their way to take their Mark of Mastery the next year. For now, he was allowed to go on missions by himself because he was older.

Aqua smiled as she leaned onto both of her hands. "You nervous about your first mission?"

Terra let his mouth hang, carefully considering his words.

"We'll see how I feel tomorrow," he finally said.

* * *

The next morning, Aqua and Ventus waited in the castle foyer, hoping to get a chance to give Terra a good-luck parting.

It seemed like forever before he finally made his way to say good-bye.

"What's the mission?" Ventus asked excitedly.

Terra held up a small card with some notes. "I have to keep watch over a mother elephant and her calf who are working in an abusive circus."

"That sounds pretty easy, you got this!" Ventus said, his eyes glistening. He had always thought of Terra as the most amazing person he had ever met.

"I'm sure you'll do great," Aqua said. It did sound easy, and she suspected there was probably a lesson behind it as well if the Master chose this for him. "Do you know how long you'll be gone?"

"Long enough to get the job done," Terra said as he exhaled slowly.

Which shouldn't take that long. As he boarded his glider and drifted off to the sky, Aqua took notice of the silence left behind once she couldn't hear the hum of his flying anymore. _It will probably be just a day or two. No big deal._

That presence stayed with her, however. There was suddenly no one to study with her late at night when Ventus was asleep. No one to distract her from those books and start conversations that could sometimes last for hours. She made breakfast for one less person. She sparred more often with Ventus, who was skilled enough to keep up with her.

However, her equal wasn't there to challenge her when she needed it.

He wasn't there to joke about her faltering form when she tried to counter his incredibly strong attacks. He wasn't there to try to psyche her out with his incessant provoking. He wasn't there to give her earnest praises every time they finished a duel, or discuss techniques to get better.

Ventus teased her as well, but the way it was done with Terra was different. For a friend that she has known since she was eight, growing up with him meant she knew every twitch he showed on his face. It meant she understood him perfectly well, possibly better than he understood himself. They used to be inseparable.

But it wasn't just that. On the third night he was gone, when she brewed her own tea and didn't like the taste of it, she caught herself thinking of his deep-blue eyes and strong jawline. _I'm being silly. He'll be back soon. There's no need for this..._

The morning after, she looked outside the window from the foyer, to see him flying back. Her heart beating on her chest and a smile beaming on her face, she ran over to the entrance, but stopped short after what she witnessed.

Terra stormed into the castle, his eyes red. He looked at her for just a moment, a look of complete despair on his face, and he continued on without breaking his stride or saying anything to her.

She followed him to the library.

"Terra, what happened?"

Terra threw some books onto their table, and opened one while he maniacally flipped through some pages.

"I just need to study a little," he said curtly.

 _Just like him to get distant and snarky when he got upset._

"What good is studying going to do for you now?" she asked.

"Just... something..." Frustrated, desperate.

"... What happened to the elephants?"

The question made him stop his frantic search through his books, and he took a deep inhale. It looked as though he was trying to stop himself from crying.

"I agreed to work for the circus," he said, his voice shaking. "I made sure I was tasked at taking care of them. And I did. I took care of her, made sure she was fed and clean. The little one felt comfortable around me and we played everyday."

He put his hand to his face as he continued. "But the little one was born with very... large ears. Some kids were picking on him during a show, and the mother got _so_ _upset_." His voice dropped to a whisper. "She attacked the humans in defense of her baby. I understood why, and I tried to stop her. I tried to help my co-workers stop her, but..."

He turned around and leaned back on the table, his hands splayed out over the surface. "The ringleader decided to separate them. They locked her up in all of these chains. She couldn't even walk in her cage." He regained some composure to keep his voice calm. "They made the little one into a clown. To be made fun of every night while he food was thrown at him. He won't even play with me anymore."

Aqua didn't realize her eyes were watering. She walked over to his side, and leaned back on the table with him.

"What kind of monster would do that to a mother?" he said.

"You're right, he's a monster." She knew how sensitive Terra was. He was strong, and he was optimistic about his endeavors, and probably a _little_ too often he would overestimate his abilities. These kinds of events were things that Terra always took so personally.

"They are so lucky they have someone like you to care about them," she said softly. "You'll find a way to help them. But you won't find the answer in these books."

Terra kept his gaze towards the floor, refusing to look at her. It wasn't just that he was sensitive. She knew that he often felt embarrassed over his failures, as if it would taint his reputation. Not that he needed to impress her of all people, but it didn't make sense that he felt he should anyway.

He looked utterly defeated. He whispered, "what is the Master going to say?"

There wasn't a good answer to that, except to gently put her hand over his. She wanted him to relax, and realized that she was the one who couldn't when she felt his thumb hold her fingers. The movement made her stomach flutter, as if she yearned for the touch. She missed him, yes, but this much?

She squeezed him a little, which prompted him to turn his hand upward so that she can hold it. His hand was warm, and she saw him lean toward her, although he kept his stare towards the floor.

Her thoughts lingered on his touch. They had held hands before, plenty of times in fact. Mostly to guide each other when they were hiking dangerous terrain, or when they were children so that they wouldn't get separated.

They actually used to touch each other much more often. They used to wrestle when they played. As they got older though, that became awkward. He would call it less appropriate, and never initiated it again. By that point, they were older and were more interested in perfecting their fighting techniques, so it wasn't something either of them missed.

It didn't register to her how long they had been holding hands in silence until she heard the Master walk into the library.

"Terra," he called out.

Terra quickly slipped his hand out of hers as he faced his Master, his posture erect in military style.

"Yes, Master." He had wiped any evidence of sadness or anxiety from his voice, as he usually did to appear like he was in control.

"We shall talk in my office," Eraqus said before leaving the library.

"Yes, sir," Terra said as he followed.

Aqua leaned on that table by herself, looking at her hand while her heart beat a little harder.

* * *

"How did Terra _not_ beat that guy up?" Ventus asked as Aqua filled him in about the ringleader. The two were dusting the hallways of the second floor. Every day there was a chore to do. It couldn't be helped in a castle so large with so little residents.

"How is he, anyway?" he asked her.

Aqua shook her head. "You know what he's like. He's completely wrecked over the calf."

Terra had been in the Master's office for quite a while now, and the chores were a distraction when they grew tired of waiting for him. It took a couple of hours before they finally finished, and thought to take a break outside. It was then that they saw him head down the entrance hall and out the front entrance.

"Terra!" Ventus called out, but it was too late as the doors slammed shut. "He didn't even say goodbye."

Normally he would, so what happened?

Aqua walked downstairs as Ventus followed, to see the Master standing there.

"Master?" she asked.

"I have instructed Terra to not come back until his mission to free the elephants is complete," Eraqus said, walking back toward his office as though nothing pressing had happened.

"Sir?" she asked after him.

"He needs to learn to juggle his setbacks. Life is not always going to be easy for him, especially as a Keyblade bearer." He wrapped his hands behind his back, pensive but strong on his word in a hierarchy where what he said was law. There wasn't a point to stand up to him.

And an order like that wouldn't make Terra feel any better about himself.

"You're such a worry wort," Ventus said, breaking the silence as she stood there thinking to herself.

"Don't tell me you aren't."

"Just a little, but it's Terra. He can handle it. I swear, your worrying is going to bite back at you hard one day."

* * *

Aqua gazed out the window of the library four days later, sitting on her usual spot, with the same open book - but unable to concentrate. The day was bright and the sky full of clouds, yet there was no overcast. A good day to spend outside instead of stuffing her mind with words, but she preferred to finished her responsibilities guilt-free. She just wasn't doing a good job of that.

Ventus sat across from her. The seat directly in front of her was too special, too reserved for Terra, for him to take it. He also had an open book and attempted to finish an essay. Instead, he just fiddled with the pen, and it smacked against the table over and over.

" _Ugh_ , Aqua, save me from myself." Ventus tossed the pen aside.

"You really need to learn a bit of patience."

" _You really need to learn a bit of patience_." His voice became shrill so he could pass as sounding like a girl. "I should be rewarded for spending at least ten minutes reading this stupid thing. It's so much better when Master reads things to me."

He looked at the book she was reading, with its archaic language. "I _really_ don't look forward to reading _that_ ," he said. A moment of silence, and then he stood up from his chair. "I'm going to train a little."

"Ven."

"Just for, like, ten minutes. I can't stand sitting here any longer."

Aqua shook her head as he walked away. It meant that her, or in the usual case Terra when he was still around, would have to sit with him at the last minute to finish the essay before the deadline.

Alone, she had nothing else to do but to tend to her book, finding a flow so she could let the words pass by. She didn't bother to check the time when she heard footsteps behind her.

"You done procrastinating, Ven?" she called out, only to see Terra stand in front of her with a mug of tea, and a large stain on his shirt.

"As you can see," he said as he pulled on the fabric, "Ven already assaulted me with a hug, with not a _care in the world_ what I was holding." He gave his usually sheepish smile, in so much better spirits than the last time she saw him.

"Terra!" The surprise was well-welcomed, and she knew she had the goofiest grin across her face. But she didn't care. "You have to tell me how it went!"

He sat in front of her. Finally, a sense of normalcy.

His response was a smile, and she said, "so it went well?"

He nodded. "I tried to get him out of his shell. I even helped him visit his mother, although I had to cut it short. It was awful, taking him away from her. But eventually, I got him to open up after... well..." he shrugged a little, his eyes darting around like he was about to admit a secret. "Is it bad to get an elephant a _little_ drunk?"

"Terra!"

"It was an accident, I promise." He held his hand up as if he was vowing. "But it worked," he added, searching the library for anyone who might have been listening in.

Aqua took the mug he set aside for himself and sipped his tea. Delicious. Things were finally back to where they belong.

"Anyway, they are back together," he said. "Mother and calf. He became an overnight sensation with a new act we setup together and they are out of the circus and are onward to better show business."

"That's so wonderful. What did you guys plan?" She took another sip.

"It wasn't me, really, it was _him_. He can fly. Now I can say that I've seen just about everything."

She nearly spit the tea out. " _Terra_. A flying elephant? Ridiculous." Always him to be making fun of her even when she seriously needed to hear good news.

Terra's eyes widened as he laughed out loud. "You don't believe me?"

"A flying elephant, sure. And I can breathe underwater."

He leaned forward a bit, his eyes narrowing with a cocky smirk across his face. "Want to bet? I demand you make me that beef pastry I love when I prove you wrong."

A challenge. She looked him in the eyes. They were determined, full of life, and yearning to succeed. Her stomach gave a flip. _Has he always been that beautiful?_

That beef pastry he wanted was this ridiculously large fillet steak coated with mushrooms and pancake batter that was terribly easy to ruin or burn. Getting it right was laborious, and it took hours to prepare.

But she was ready, and at this point she even felt like he didn't even need to ask her.

"Fine. Prove me wrong," she said. "When you fail, though, you will do all my chores for two weeks."

"It's a deal," he said.

* * *

Terra's triumphant return was not only met with praise from Master Eraqus, but it left a sense of ease within Aqua and Ventus, who were far less antsy with him around.

Sparring with him made her feel as though she was getting back on track, like she was training for her own improvement again. Terra was the complete opposite in fighting style. A warrior bent on using his sheer force to shatter his opponent. She was an acrobat, a mage determined to parry her opponent with mental accuracy and swift counterattacks. Sparring with him always sharpened her sense of evasion, because meeting some of his more broad brute swings directly was never an efficient idea.

After their duel was over, Aqua noticed the amount of sweat dampening his shirt, and the way his muscles moved as he breathed heavily. His hair was messy but it framed his jawline perfectly. His shoulders were broad, but had they always been? He had grown up so much and she knew this, so how was it she was just noticing this? What exactly changed?

The flutter in her stomach became unbearable and she could feel her cheeks getting hot, so she faced away from him and started her own exercises. Flips like a gymnast, with her hands and without, as she traversed from one end of the room to the other in a long line. The blood sent to her brain and the sensation of the air passing by her were enough to re-settle her senses.

At it worked well, until she saw that he watched her do it. Was that something he normally did, observe her practice? Such a strange and tense, yet gentle, stare. They locked eyes and he didn't falter from the gaze, until he smiled gently and broke the connection.

Days went by and the two of them didn't lock eyes like that again.

It was much safer to watch him spar with Ventus, like she did on a new day like today, when the Master came in with a sense of urgency.

"Terra, I am sending you on another mission," he said, holding up a card with some written information. "It is a rescue. You are to go to this world and assist these two fellows from an organization in saving a kidnapped six-year-old orphan girl. She has been missing for a month."

Aqua gasped. "That's so horrible."

Terra couldn't hide the feeling of anger in his voice. "What kind of people would do-"

"Terra," the Master interrupted. "Remember what you and I spoke about. Your focus should be on the girl. This world is one devoid of magic, so you mustn't rely too much on the Keyblade. You are also forbidden from harming the kidnapper."

Terra took a hard swallow. "Understood, sir," and bowed his head.

"The same rules from before apply, too. You are not to return here until you have completed your mission," the Master said with a stern demeanor, though not with cruelty or scorn.

Aqua stood up quickly, not really knowing what she was going to do. Object to the rules? Offer comfort? An orphan girl. So young, too. This would hit Terra really hard, since he was one also before the Master came to adopt him.

Before she said anything, Terra faced his two friends with a forced smile and said, "well, I'm off. Don't worry about me." He left so quickly that she didn't get a chance to say anything.

Aqua put her hand on Ventus' shoulder, whose facial expression absolutely betrayed any sense of control over his emotions.

"This one will be tricky," he said quietly.

* * *

Each day that followed, Aqua tried to make it pass as normal. On the tenth night he was gone, she sat in the library, with that same book that she could barely finish, and a mug of tea that wasn't brewed properly.

 _I can bake very well, but I can't make a decent cup of tea to save my life._

She tapped her fingers onto the table. _I need to know if he's okay. Who is he with right now? Did he find her?_

 _Is he even taking time to think about me?_

Flustered, Aqua marked her place in the book and shut it closed, retiring for the night.

* * *

On the twelfth day since he left, Ventus offered the brilliant idea of visiting the waterfall nearby the castle. It was a place with a special memory: it was the first place they took him after he recovered from his sickness when he arrived. And it was Terra's idea then. He begged her to go with him, his smile so wide it would have been infectious if she wasn't in such a solemn mood.

But he didn't allow her to reply to the idea. He just pulled her along with him.

The waterfall was genuinely a picturesque scene. The water rolled over several sloped rock, all smooth from its constant work. There was a cliff that wasn't too high, where she and Terra taught Ventus to jump off from. The water pooled into a decent sized lake, which further ran down a gentle stream.

But this was the difficult part. No location in this entire world was a safe place where Aqua could be rid of Terra's memory. Everything here she shared with him. It was probably something Ventus was aware of, too. Which meant that he probably also felt an ache somewhere due to the absence.

Aqua minded her own business sitting atop a boulder by the lake's shore, Ventus entertaining himself by practicing strokes. She just wasn't in the right mood to have fun - her mind was too focused on memories of them coming here as children, when they didn't think about anything in the world that would make them sad. And she was so lost in thought that she didn't notice -

\- when he crept close to her underwater just to grab her by the leg and pull her down with him.

This method worked to distract her. She surfaced with hysterical laughter, and the two splashed water on each other, though it quickly deteriorated into a competition. She won.

When they were done, they left the lakeside to dry themselves.

"I miss him," she said as she put her shoes back on.

"I miss him, too." Ventus was putting on his shirt. "I don't really think this was an easy one for him."

"I know he'll be fine," she said, looking off to the distance. "He's brave, smart and resourceful. He'll be able to make that girl feel safe. It just really hurts. It's so strange not having him here."

She chuckled out loud as she stood up. "It's like I'm missing a half of me."

"Oh. _I see_."

Ventus contorted his face into a strange expression. His eyes narrowed, and his smile was wide but he gripped his lower lip with his teeth as it pulled upward toward his nose. Much like he discovered a very scandalous secret.

"What's that look for?"

"He's brave, and smart, and resourceful, _and strong, and tall, and handsome_." He emulated a girl who is swooning with his hands, and his voice kicked up a pitch with each word that came out of his mouth.

Aqua replied nothing to this except to push him back into the water. Strong, tall, and handsome. It embarrassed her to even consider Terra any of these things, but they were true.

* * *

Back at the castle, Aqua took stock of the food in the kitchen's expansive cabinet space when Ventus bursted through the doors in order to make an announcement.

"Aqua!" he called out in an almost whisper - a quiet announcement. "He's back! He's completely passed out in the library." It was silly that he tried to lower his voice since the library was very far away from the kitchen and there was no way that anyone could hear him from there.

Not that she thought too hard about this. Aqua dumped the food she was counting and ran to the library, noticing that Ventus stayed behind. _Probably some nonsense about giving us space._ Still, for this she was grateful.

And there, she saw him. Laid out on an ornate white and gold couch, on his side as he draped himself over a fluffy pillow, his face buried in it. A large, wrapped bandage was tightly knotted over his left arm.

She gently walked over to him, and couldn't help herself but graze over his hair with her hand. Gently, so she didn't wake him. Her smile was so wide that her cheeks hurt. _I'm so glad you're home._

A brown paper bag sat on the desk they normally shared for studying. _The Affairs of the Heart_ was stuffed with papers and photographs where she had last marked it.

Opening it, she saw the first photograph. Terra smiling, in what looked to be a swamp, with bloodied rags tied around his left arm. He was with a blonde little girl in pigtails by his side, and two mice on his shoulders. She flipped the photo to see the scribble of a six-year-old's handwriting. _My heros. Tera, Bernard, and Ms. Bianca._

The next photo, the girl had jumped up on Terra as she hugged him around his shoulders, her smile brimming wildly. Terra flashed a gorgeous, toothy grin as he hugged back. The kind of smile caught mid-laugh, and the only way he'd ever be caught on camera doing this.

Aqua's stomach contorted into knots as she stared at the picture. _Oh, she's so adorable. And him..._

A clip from a newspaper, with the headline, _GIRL KIDNAPPED FROM ORPHANAGE FOUND. The kidnappers, two pawn shop owners, were arrested and charged with child trafficking and attempted child homicide._

A letter from the same girl. _Dear Tera, thank you for sayving me and Mr. Tedy. I praid for you and you came. I want to now, am I good enuff to hav perents like you? Love, Penny._

A photograph of Penny and her teddy bear, with an adult man and woman, standing on a street covered in snow. Another letter from her. _Dear Tera, thank you for fynding me and Mr. Tedy perents! Now I hav a famili. I will tell them abaut you. You jumped on the alligaters and fell in the water. That meen man held a gun at you. You sayved me from drowning. Plees com visit me soon. I want to tell you abaut my cat. Give your frends the jinjersnaps. Love, Penny._

Aqua had tears running down her face, and she wiped them away. The gingersnaps must have been in the paper bag.

Another newspaper clipping. The headlines read, _Wonder Elephant Soars to Fame! Miracle Mammoth Startles World!_

A photo of Terra feeding a large elephant some peanuts, and calf with enormously large ears reaching for him with its trunk. She flipped the photo to its back to see Terra's scratchy and uneven handwriting. _Dumbo and his mother._

The last photo. Dumbo in the sky, his ears stretched out as if they were wings. Clearly, she lost the bet. On the back, Terra's handwriting again. _Dumbo. You owe me a steak pastry, exactly the way I like it cooked. P.S. Show Ven._

Aqua laughed in a whisper. He still slept soundly and peacefully on that couch, like he spent a lazy day instead of accomplishing any of these astounding things. Her heart pounded, and her chest swelled with a nervous excitement when she confirmed that yes, he really did seem different this time around.

* * *

Aqua set up all the necessary ingredients on the kitchen's island to make Terra's favorite dish as Ventus sat on the dining room table, struggling to finish what he called a stupid essay that did nothing for him. She saw him mumble to himself across the bar area, not turning a page for what seemed like an hour.

She heard footsteps, and when she peeked, she saw Terra approach them with a large hula hoop decorated with green and white stripes, and a fabric bag.

"Whoa, what's that?" Ventus jumped off the dining room table.

"Hello to you, too," Terra said as he put the fabric bag down on the surface of the bar.

He flipped the hula hoop in the air. "This is for you, Ven. Some of the dancers in the circus taught me how to play with it."

A small pain twanged in Aqua's chest at the thought of women flirting with Terra. It probably was fair. There was no denying he became good looking as he aged. That wasn't exactly what bothered her.

Terra demonstrated some movements with the hoop as he twirled and sweeped with it. And Ventus was so ridiculously excited that it there weren't words to describe it. Taking the hoop, he tried to imitate the movements, and smacked himself on the face. Next, he tried jumping with the hoop. He threw it into the air and caught it.

"It could be good practice for _something_. He has way too much energy," Terra said in a low voice as he sat at the bar.

"You're hurt?" She gestured over to his bandage.

He waved her concerns away. "Just a flesh wound." He grabbed the bag and put it in front of him.

"This is for you." He gave a small smile as he crossed his arms and leaned on the surface of the bar.

"It better be as hypnotizing as that hoop," she said. She had no expectations when she unraveled it. Probably something that he grabbed on his way back.

But it wasn't as simple as that. It was a group of things that he would have had to travel far away to find, for the sole purpose of hunting them down for her. A tin can of bright yellow turmeric. A bag full of spicy red annatto. A wooden box of forest green hyssopus.

All proof that he didn't just put in all this effort into a difficult search for them, but that he was thinking of her as well. She got light-headed at the thought, and her heart beat fast.

There he was leaning on his hand, with this excitable smile on his face. He was anxious to see her reaction. As if he had been looking forward to giving this to her for ages.

Aqua slowed down a shaky laugh to seem in control of her emotions. Her smiled widened. "Terra, you're amazing."

There was a twinkle in his eye, as though he wasn't expecting such a response. He tried to keep a smile, but he was obviously nervous. "Do you really mean that?" he said in a low voice.

Did she really mean it? Yes, Terra was amazing. In the things that he was able to achieve. But in a different way, too. Amazing in all the qualities that he showed to others, to her. Amazing in such a way that she realized it made her wish he would look at her like that every single day.

She glanced over at Ventus. He let the hoop drag on his back while he watched them. He rolled his eyes dramatically, and she was sure she'd hear his taunts later that night.

"Terra, you are back," the Master's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Aqua took this opportunity to turn away to focus on the ingredients in front of her, grateful for the opportunity to calm down.

"Terra, you did wonderfully," she could hear the Master say behind her. "I'm so proud of you."

She smiled to herself, knowing full well that these kinds of words will make Terra's spirit soar with pride and a newfound confidence for the rest of the day. A sense that he could achieve what he wanted. He deserved it.

And she, too, wished he kept watching her as she worked, knowing that he instead kept himself busy as he exchanged words with the Master over his journey. Ventus scurried over and exclaimed that he, too, wanted to hear about these wild adventures.

Aqua listened on as she lovingly spiced the raw meat, with the intent of making it absolutely perfect.


	2. Volume II: A Tale of Lessons

**Summary:** _Terra finds that he keeps messing up even with the smallest of actions.  
He fails his hardest when Aqua falls with a terrible illness.  
Terra is 11, Aqua is 10.  
 **Rating: K+**  
_

* * *

The hike up the mountain was arduous, but doable. Terra had somehow convinced Aqua to follow him all the way to the peak of the massive spiral that stood several miles away from the academy, telling her it had the best view of the entire area.

It was true, he'd been up this trail before. Just not by himself.

For an eleven-year-old boy, Terra certainly had spirit. "The Master always said that hiking was good to build strong ankles," he said as he hopped up several rocks.

The two children were blocked from continuing further due to a rather short cliff side that stood in the way on their trail. It was probably seven feet tall at most, but they were so close to the peak at this point.

"This will be easy to climb. Like a tree. No problem," Terra began to position himself to start climbing. For a kid who had been playing on these mountains since he was six, this really wasn't much of a hassle.

"Easy for _you_ to say," Aqua muttered under her breath, but loud enough for him to hear. The ten-year-old had only arrived at the academy two years earlier, her long hair tied in a ponytail and graced in a white bow.

The climb was a little trickier than Terra had initially expected. There were one too many times where he had to stay in one position to search for another crevice to use as a grip, and this was tiring. However, he had a distinct advantage, considering that he had been growing so tall so fast.

"Terra, you _promised_ this will be a good view!" he heard from below him. She sounded very annoyed.

"We're almost there!"

And right he was. When they reached the summit, the academy stood far below in the distance. Beyond, they saw silhouettes of mountains that were not visible to them down by the academy, snowcapped, beautiful, and strong. Against the light of the sun, this was a sight to behold. Birds flew far below them. The sky was overcast, and this gave the entire view a misty look. The wind blew hard at times, and it was sharp and cold.

"Wow, I wonder what it's like to fly from here." Terra couldn't keep his eyes away from the horizon of mountains.

Aqua spit hair out of her mouth and tried to keep it off her face. "Let's not do _that_."

"Hey, did I ever tell you the story about a demon that sat on top of a mountain?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I tried reading it from a book the Master had when I was little. It was full of evil stories. A monster sat on a giant mountain like this one." He waved his arms to gesture the grandeur. "And it would summon ghosts and stuff."

"So what happened to it?"

"I don't know. Master got mad at me for reading it and took it away."

"What's the point of telling me a story with no ending?" Her hands found her hips, and her hair blew all over her face.

"Sor-ry, Miss Smarty-Pants." Sometimes, she could get really annoying. Why have an attitude when they went through all this trouble to get here.

In the distance, the clouds grew thicker and darker. A troubling sign when alone on such treacherous and unpredictable terrain.

Terra's stomach dropped a little bit and his throat clenched, unable to hide the nervousness in his voice. "Maybe it's time we should head back. We shouldn't get stuck out here in the rain. If it thunders, that's really bad."

The wind blew harder as they made it down the trail they had just finished climbing up. They both wore light jackets, but it wasn't enough to keep them warm, the cold now shearing through their clothes.

At the cliff side, Terra tried to climb down as fast as possible but he slipped, and fell on his back with a resounding thud that knocked the wind out of him. Aqua was stuck near the top, not knowing how to get down fast enough.

Very sore and a little dizzy but otherwise alright, Terra brushed dirt off himself, feeling droplets of water slowly hit his face. "Aqua, just jump, I'll catch you!"

"I can make it eventually!"

"We don't have time for that!"

Aqua moaned as though she was trying to protest, but let herself fall. The landing sent Terra reeling backwards as his back took another blow.

He quickly got up, grunting when his knee nearly gave out, and clasped her hand. "C'mon, we really have to run."

The two friends, hand in hand, ran down the rocky terrain as fast as they could. The rain started to fall in full, soaking the children with a freezing punishment. Terra slipped in the mud, dragging Aqua down with him. Ugh, he was way too sore for this.

They continued after she helped him up. Visibility was getting low as the rain came down harder. Thunder struck loudly.

 _Oh no._

"We need shelter." They headed immediately to an area spared by the downpour, protected by a ledge that jutted far out from the cliff side. It didn't stop the muddy water flowing down the mountainside, which continued to soak them. But this was better and far safer than being out in the open air.

Thunder crashed again so loudly that Aqua jerked. They held each other, shivering as they waited out the storm. Terra tried to cover her with part of his jacket, even though it was soaked. The rain beat down so loudly that it drowned out their voices, making it hard for them to speak without yelling.

Heat overcame him, accompanied by a green aura, which was both welcomed and foreign. She was running her hands over his back with healing magic, melting away the pain. He mouthed her a _thank you_.

Still shivering, she then conjured a fireball to burn continuously and spin in her hands, which helped to keep the two of warm.

For what seemed like forever, the rain continued to scream down at them, even after the thunder wore off. Terra contemplated making a run to the academy again. _Or is that going to hurt her? Master always said I was the oldest, and I should look out for her._

They were shivering so much that it began to get painful when they got rigid. But a voice called their names, competing with the loudness of the watery onslaught. Master Eraqus, covered in a tarp that did little since he was just as soaked as they were, looked under the ledge where the two children huddled together.

"I'm amazed the two of you made it all the way out here. Look at you, soaked to the bone," he said as he gave them tarps of their own. Terra wasn't certain if the Master was too worried to be angry, but he didn't look forward to getting home now.

* * *

The next morning, Terra arrived to the dining room by himself. The night before, the Master drew them both hot baths, and the children threw themselves in with their clothes on. Eraqus was strict when he ordered them to get into dry clothes, although he served no punishment... yet. Maybe it was because he was too relieved that they were alright.

Still, it was weird that Terra woke up first. The Master entered the kitchen and began preparing a stew.

"Master, where's Aqua?"

"She's very sick, Terra. She can't get out of bed."

A hard lump formed in Terra's throat.

"Is she... " Terra's voice was soft and nervous.

"Terra." The Master sounded as though he was going to give Terra a scolding, but contained himself as if to spare the boy. "Where did you get the idea that taking her up the mountain was going to be beneficial to you?"

"I... I just wanted to show her something cool."

"Terra, you _really_ need to learn to think things through."

"I- I'm sorry... Is she going to die?" Terra's voice was shaky. _She's my only friend._

"Terra." The Master was stern. "She's not going to die. I do not think I will punish you for this, but you will need to make up for it. I think you understand your guilt, and you will probably feel worse when you see her."

Terra had nothing to say to this.

"Do you want to do something to make her feel better?" The Master took out a tea kettle.

"Yes, sir."

"Then come. I will show you how to make the best teas for any kind of sickness."

* * *

The cough coming out of Aqua was hoarse, deep, phlegmy, and loud.

Eraqus touched her forehead. "What an awful fever," he said quietly.

Terra slowly approached the side of the bed, a cup of steaming ginger tea in his hands. Aqua's cheeks were flushed, and her hair damp as if she had been sweating. She opened her large eyes, and Terra could barely refrain from crying out loud.

"Here, we made you this," was what he said instead.

Aqua sat up weakly, and took the cup in her hands. When she drank it, her eyebrows went up and she was taken aback.

He could have messed it up. "You didn't like it?"

"No, I like it. It's just strong." Her voice broke a little, too much energy spent in speaking.

"It looks like it's going to be a long recovery for you," the Master said. "Terra has been tasked with making you tea every day."

"I'll make it better next time." Terra smiled meekly as Aqua coughed. He didn't think she would accept an apology if he gave it.

* * *

Days without Aqua were boring. Terra had been assigned by the Master to read several books on medicinal herbs to prove his commitment to redeem himself after putting her in a dangerous position, but he was still allowed to play whenever he wanted.

But it was of no use to play without a mate. Eraqus used to play with Terra when he was much younger, far before she came around. Now, when she wasn't there, Terra was left to his own imagination, which didn't talk back.

Terra sparred by himself by practicing his posture and movements, but there was no one there to cheer him on when he was doing well, or to help him improve. Or to argue with him when he messed up and he didn't want to hear it, in the snarky way that she would do because she needed to act like she knew everything. Or to tease him when he tripped.

Their favorite past time was always to sit in the field close by the academy and stare at the stars. Seeing so many of them in the sky by himself only made the loneliness worse.

He noticed each night he brought her the third cup of tea for the day that she would stare out her window from her bed. It was much better to stargaze with her here, and he would bring her different games every night. Sometimes, he'd bring her new storybooks for them to read together.

As the Master predicted, her illness really did take long to recover. Eventually, Terra needed to do something different. Something to make up for getting her sick. A simple discarded cardboard box was the perfect canvas, and he carved images into it. When he brought her tea that night, he replaced her lampshade with his box, and it formed lighted shapes all over her room, covering her walls with speckled man-made wonders.

"Stars!" She laid back into her bed, taking her time to inspect each shape he made for her.

"Some of them are." Terra laid down on the floor next to her. "Can you tell what the other ones are?"

"There's a sun," she pointed, her nose still stuffy. "And I can see a moon there. That one looks like a bird." She paused for a moment and then pointed to one that hovered near the corner of her room. "What is _that_ supposed to be?"

"A lizard."

"It looks like a blob."

" _You_ try carving a lizard if you think you're so good at it."

Aqua laughed as she turned to her side to view him from above. "I like it anyway. Can I keep it?"

Terra blushed at the thought, but luckily it was too dark in the room for her to notice. "Sure. Whatever."

"Hey Terra, what about that story you told me about? The one with the demon that sat on the mountain?"

"I told you. The Master wouldn't let me finish it."

"You don't think that book will be in the library?"

It could. "Hm, I want to find out what happened, too. I'll find it, the Master never throws books away," he said, with all the confidence of someone who knew exactly what he was doing.

* * *

In daylight, the library looked massive and tall, gold accents spread all over the white walls. The windows were just as impressive, giving the impression that everyone who wandered in floated among the mountains. Terra took continuous laps around the shelves, trying to spot the book. He finally caught a glimpse - there was no way that he could forget the look of it. The only black book on this specific shelf, thick and adorned with vine-like designs on the spine.

However, it was way up where he could never reach by himself. Fine, there was always a ladder kept somewhere around here. It was a rickety, thin, frail ancient thing. Easy to move around, but it shook when he climbed on it. He reached for the book as soon as he got to the top, but he still wasn't tall enough to get to it. The ladder shook heavily as he stood on his toes, and he grabbed the shelf to stabilize himself.

He remembered his Master's words. How he _really_ needed to learn to think things through. Aqua was usually the one to heal him so he often avoided trouble, but she's forbidden to use magic now that she's sick. If he fell and hurt himself, there wouldn't be a way to hide it from the Master.

He carefully climbed back down, and thought about this plans. It was most likely inevitable that he would fall, and the library had way too many hazards.

The only solution, then, was to let himself fall without getting hurt.

The bookshelf stood close to a long table and chairs, a spot where they would normally read books together. _If I fall on that, I'll definitely break my bones. That has to go._

He pushed the long table up to be parallel against the wall opposite the shelf, and stacked the chairs on top of it. It left an open space of bare floor - a terrible surface to break his fall.

There were several couches and lounge chairs around the library. From them, he brought back eight pillows, and placed them neatly around the ladder. It looked naked of full protection, however.

So, he went to the foyer on the ground floor, where a couple of more lounge chairs stood, each with an adorned pillow. But they were still not enough to soften the blow.

He traversed throughout the entire second floor, where several smaller libraries, the kitchen, and guest rooms were located. The long hallways had a few couches spread throughout, like small sanctuaries for anyone too tired from walking through them all. And he took pillows from every single one. From this floor alone, it took him three trips.

And yet, they still didn't give enough padding, just in case the worst happens.

Understandably, he explored the rest of the floors. Seven of them total. The uppermost floor was mostly storage, many of the antiques and old furniture were covered by a bedsheet to keep dust off of them. Terra removed these sheets to see if he can find old sofas and lounge chairs. He opened chests to see if anything inside was useful to him. In the end, he poured all the pillows he could find into a makeshift wrap, perfect for carrying his spoils. He then thought it would be a good idea to have these sheets as a final layer to keep all the pillows together, and went back up to collect them all.

When he finally finished, he had enough pillows and sheets to makeshift tall beds for at least ten older children. _There's no way I can get hurt now._

He climbed to the top of the shaky ladder, up on his toes again to reach for the book, and he leaned on the shelf for stability. Now though, there was room to push his limits.

The book was barely out of his grasp, and he focused on stretching himself to his maximum as the ladder shook harder under him. Success - he grabbed the book by the tips of his fingers, and with all his force, pulled it out. The momentum pretty much threw him backward off the ladder.

He landed on the pillows - a soft, but dusty, landing. There were so many, in fact, that when the ladder fell to its side, it didn't make any loud noises.

"I did it!" he exclaimed, reading the title of the heavy trophy he finally won. _Tales of Darkness_ , it read, the ornate decoration of a woman's face with snakes for hair on the cover. It was definitely the right one.

He scuffled off the pillows, tripped over them, and ran off from the library to show her the book.

* * *

The book was full of many different tales of monsters, demons, and vague stories of dark powers possessing people. It even had colored drawings of what these demons looked like.

"What a scary book," Aqua said, her loose hair covering her shoulders. She stood up and sniffled as Terra showed her the contents, the sun shining through her window. "Are you sure we should be looking through this?"

Such an Aqua thing to do, to be more careful even with ideas that were hers to begin with.

"Well..." Terra continued to flip through the pages, eager to find the demon that captured his imagination years before. "I was seven when I first read it. I think I'm old enough now."

And there it was. A drawing of a humongous man with glowing yellow eyes, horns and bat wings. He was so large that his body was part of the mountain itself. _What a complicated name, though._

"Cher-na-bog?" Terra read.

"Let me see," Aqua turned the book around so she can take a look. "He looks exactly as you described him."

Terra took a moment to read a little bit. "He sleeps on a mountain, and every 100 years he comes out to haunt the villagers in the valley by summoning ghosts and lesser demons. They suffer an endless night until they can banish him."

"Yeesh. How do you stop him?"

Terra scanned through more words, but footsteps coming from behind stopped him from reading aloud. He turned on his chair to see the Master standing in the doorway to Aqua's room.

"Terra," the Master said, with the tone that spoke volumes of how he thought the boy was most definitely guilty of something. "Can you explain to me the mess in the library?"

"I got a book for Aqua." It should have been obvious to the Master that this was the case.

" _What book_ is worth all that trouble?" Eraqus touched his own forehead to grovel over what could possibly had possessed his apprentice to do such a thing. He sighed loudly the moment he caught sight of the book. "What are you doing with this?"

"I wanted to find out about..." Terra held the book close to his face. "Cher-na-bog. But I don't understand what it's saying about stopping him."

Aqua leaned forward and scrunched her bedsheets in her hands. "Please Master, tell us how he was defeated."

"Yeah, please Master. I don't know what it means when it says that he was turned away by the sound of bells and the light of... _ann-gulls_?" Terra said.

"It's _angels_ ," Eraqus said.

"What's an angel?"

"Some worlds believe that light can be personified as figures of guidance and protection. This demon was banished because these beings came down to stop him."

"But what does that _mean_?"

The Master gently took the book out of Terra's hands. "Terra, there isn't even proof that such a creature exists, anyway. They're all old fables. But what does exist is that mess you left behind. And a proper Keyblade wielder knows how to tidy up his affairs."

Terra crossed his arms and scowled.

"Terra, I promise you will get the answers you seek when you are older. Think of yourself as a future angel when you finally are able to forge your own Keyblade. Do you think an angel, therefore, will be messy?"

With a flick to the boy's head and a small grin that still expected obedience, the Master left with the book, and Terra took his sweet time to stretch when he stood up, delaying his chores for a long as possible. Aqua laughed behind him.

"I wonder what it was you did," she said as she tucked her knees to her chest. "Thanks for taking care of me, Terra."

Terra blushed and made sure she didn't see it. "Yeah, well, okay. You're welcome. Whatever."


	3. Volume III: A Tale of Landslides, Pt 1

**Summary:** _The Mark of Mastery is almost here.  
Terra and Aqua have one last mission to complete  
before they they are evaluated for all the efforts they put into being Keyblade Masters.  
If only they had mastery over their own emotions._ **  
Terra is 19, Aqua is 18.  
Rating: T (for sexual tension)  
A/N: _holyteapotofrussell sent me this prompt:  
_** _ **"It's three in the morning."**  
_

* * *

Terra twirled the card detailing the goals of his next mission, written neatly in the Master's handwriting, in his hand. He would share this mission with Aqua, who was currently busy drilling her dance movements. He learned to respect her time to that kind of dedication, since it was such an important aspect to her fighting style. It was also a craft that wasn't shared with either him nor Eraqus - it was her own thing, her time for herself.

This annoyed him a little though, not that he would ever ask her to stop dancing. He normally loved watching her, admiring her ability to adapt such beauty and grace to the way she commanded her magic. It proved fruitful, since he had been stumbling more often in their last several duels. And if he was going to be honest... watching her dance was also the one chance he got away with gazing at her.

But the Mark of Mastery was less than two weeks away. Eraqus had already informed them that an old friend of his, another Master, would be on his way to examine them. Another pair of eyes from a stranger, there to judge their performance. Terra needed the both of them to do well, including this mission. They've worked too hard for too long to make a bad impression on someone else who wouldn't know a thing about them.

 _I'm sure Aqua is also nervous. Why else would she be dancing before we have to embark?_

He entered the castle's lounge, a spacious room featuring several desks and loveseats, a small library, a wardrobe, and massive windows with an unbeatable view of the mountains. _We really need more students. This castle is far too big for us._

Ventus sat there alone with an open book, looking like he was working on an essay. Except he really wasn't. He was doodling a mess of himself fighting monsters. Terra pulled on the backrest of the boy's chair so that the blonde can look directly up at him.

"That looks like a fantastic essay you've got written there," Terra said to the young boy who was showing off a grin, happy to see his oldest best friend.

But the grin quickly faded. "This book sucks," was all Ventus had to say.

Terra let go of the chair and leaned over to read the cover of the book. _Guidelines from the Philosophies of the Greats: On the Adjustment of a Keyblade Bearer's Lifestyle_. It was the driest book he and Aqua had ever studied, and it was mandatory. He didn't understand why Eraqus still required it.

Terra didn't grimace at the sight however, knowing that showing any sign of discouragement was going to make it so much harder for Ventus to start his essay - a feat that the boy already struggled with. It usually led to too many long nights before the deadline, rushing to finish it. Terra was often the one to help him, as Aqua quickly ran out of patience.

"You know, when you finish this book, it will do wonders for your sparring. It will completely change the way you approach fighting," Terra said.

It was a lie. There was nothing in this book about fighting.

Ventus at first looked suspicious, then softened his expression as a timid excitement seeped through. "Really?"

"Of course. It's the most important book that a Keyblader wielder needs." Terra tried hard to keep a straight face.

Ventus put his doodles aside, curious to find out how the book would cater to his interests. It was then that Terra noticed another book underneath the messy stack of papers and pencils. It was battered and well-worn, displaying the image of a fox and a bear donning a bow and arrow. _The Adventures of Robin Hood_. This book belonged in the library normally, but if he were to open it, the very first page would grace the scratchy hand-written words of a ten-year old: _this book belongs to Terra_.

"What is this doing here?" Terra asked, a little smile curled on his lips as his heart pumped with childish excitement.

"Isn't it the _coolest_ book ever? It's so much better than this crap."

"Well, there's nothing that could be better because Robin Hood is the greatest hero of all time." He cleared his throat. "But it's no excuse not to do your studies." Terra flipped through the pages. He read this so many times that he could almost recite the entire thing. Images of his childhood imagination threatened to take his mind away. "I actually wanted to be exactly like him."

"You know he reminds me of you."

Terra flashed a look of disbelief at first, not certain if it was a genuine compliment or a jab. Still, he was proud of the comparison. Not that he had the time to respond, since Aqua rushed into the lounge, panting a little bit, and looking a bit more serious than what was usual after a drilling session. Dance normally perked her up.

"I'm ready," she said as she approached Terra. She gave a small smile, but the tone of her voice forced optimism.

 _Yup, she's stressed._

Ventus swung around in his chair. "I hate the _both_ of you right now for leaving me here alone."

"We don't have a choice, Ven," Aqua said as she gently brushed his hair. "You can always have the Master help you out."

Ventus rolled his eyes. "All he's going to do is criticize the way I do anything. Terra is much more fun doing the most boring things with."

Terra snorted. "I hope that's not _all_ I'm good for."

"And it _sucks_ that I can't do anything."

Aqua let out a deep breath through her nose, her jaw a little tense. She normally was soothing and understanding of how isolated Ventus felt in the castle, but it seemed as though she was itching to get this mission over with.

"C'mon Ven," Terra said, "what do we make you repeat every time one of us goes away on a mission?"

Ventus let out an incredibly loud and snarky sigh as if to protest. "When you guys were _my_ age," he started with clear mockery and contempt, "you weren't allowed to go out _either_."

Terra gestured to Ventus to continue the speech.

And Ventus glared at him. "And _one_ day, even though _it will never happen_ because the Master is _absolutely_ _paranoid_ , I will be able to leave the grounds - let me _mention_ that the Master took _you_ _guys_ out when you were young and never does for _me_."

"That's good enough." Terra smirked. There was nothing he could do to ease his friend's restlessness and feelings of abandonment except to keep the atmosphere uplifting. Aqua smiled sadly.

"Where are you guys going this time?" Ventus asked, seemingly unaware of her mood.

Terra held up the card with the details. "We need to guide a princess of a kingdom into following her destiny. Apparently, the forces of fate are stirring for her, and the Master doesn't want her following a dark path. That's where we come in."

"And we can't mess up," Aqua said with a forced smile. They normally had a philosophy of keeping positive about their prospects, although her slightly perfectionist tendencies were definitely going to get in the way this time.

 _Well, we can't always have a great outlook. I'm going to have to be the one to let her relax this time._

"We won't," Terra said as he gently squeezed her shoulder.

* * *

The two Keyblade wielders stood in the throne room, guards surrounding them. They were being questioned by the king and queen while their daughter, Merida, pleaded with them to listen to her. She tried to tell them that they had saved her from her horse reacting to a round of boars and throwing her off - hiding the fact that she was there to hunt them in the first place.

The queen in particular was much more concerned about the way Terra and Aqua looked and dressed. She focused on Aqua's choice of hairstyle and how she refused to dress like a woman. She focused on Terra's tan skin, and wondered where he had come from. Clearly, they were outsiders, and the queen feared an invasion. The king, however, burst into a fit of hysteria and dismissed his wife. He pointed to Terra and exclaimed that there was no way they could pose a threat since _this pretty boy has eyelashes like a cow's!_

Merida used her father's reaction as leverage to convince her mother that neither of them posed a threat and that they were her friends. _So, please Mum, let them stay._

The queen was convinced to agree. The king pulled Terra aside while Merida grabbed Aqua by the hands and led her away. The princess took quite a liking to her the moment they met. Aqua lingered back at him as she disappeared through a doorway.

The king listed the things he expected Terra to do as they walked through the stone castle halls. Hunting. Upkeeping the farms. Guarding the castle. He slipped into his long speech that Terra could not continue to dress the way he did. He took time to tell Terra of a tale where he faced a large, monstrous bear and how proud he was of his accomplishments (even though he failed to capture or kill said bear). He then introduced Terra as "the foreigner" to his men.

Terra was shown to his quarters, a large room of bunkers that he would share with the other servicemen in the castle. He was given what they called a _kilt_ , and was dragged outside to start his chores. The other men flipped between calling him "pretty boy" and "foreigner" for nicknames. The latter made Terra's skin crawl, though he tried not to let it terrify him. He focused on making himself seem as less threatening as possible. _The last thing I need right now is to be thrown into the dungeon because they suspect I'm a spy or something._

When he sparred, he messed up on purpose in order to make it seem like he didn't know what he was doing - despite that none of the other men posed a challenge to him. _Nonviolent. As long as they understand me as nonviolent._

This invited more teases and laughs from the other men however, who then considered Terra as someone who wanted very hard to look like a man but could never be one. Terra bit his tongue each time they referred to him as a "lady," and instead thought about ways to reunite with Aqua. He wasn't allowed up in the princess' ward of the castle, so he couldn't just walk up to her.

Not that these restrictions in behavior were important to Aqua, or to Merida for that matter. He saw them together in the field while he was herding sheep. They were practicing archery and riding horses. Aqua wore a long brown gown made of cotton, indicative of maid work. She looked pretty. But she was pretty anyway in whatever she wore, even after grueling training sessions that left her sweating. She beamed a smile as she rode a horse for the first time in her life, radiant as her short hair bounced. A stress-free smile.

Terra forgot he had sheep to take care of. The men made sure to remind him of that as they guffawed about his _pretty little head up in some maid-in-waiting's bosom where it don't belong._ One of the sheep bayed as if she was in agreement.

Aqua noticed him from the distance and while on her horse, gestured with her head toward the forest behind the castle. It was to say that they should meet later that day, in private. Terra knew what was expected of him and how it should happen. He tended to his sheep with determination and focus to finish as fast as possible, and it kept the other men off his back. Knowing he will reunite with her was comforting enough to keep him going on with his meaningless chores.

With every single one of his sheep accounted for, Terra took the opportunity to sneak away when the other men gathered together for a late afternoon brew. He slid through the shadows in between the trees, leaving the castle behind, which sat in a valley amidst serene mountains that were threatened by storm clouds far away. Lakes rested in between, undisturbed by wind or any other force of nature. Taller mountains stood peacefully beyond with snow caps. It was a beautiful sight, very much like home.

Deep in the thicket, he placed his thumb and middle finger up against his tongue as he rolled it. He whistled three short times. Silence. A half hour later, after finding a clearing with a creek, he whistled three short times again.

Two long ones replied. This was the signal. Anytime they were separated in the mountains as children, this was their call to find each other.

Aqua arrived, her brown dress dragging the leaves on the ground and her short, choppy hair perfectly framing her face. Terra must have stared for a little too long because she suddenly got self-conscious.

"It's called a dress, Terra. Sheesh."

He forced a chuckle to hide his nervousness. "As long as you're comfortable."

She put her hands to her hips. "What about what you're wearing?"

"A kilt." He wrinkled his chin and swayed his hips back and forth. "It's nice and airy. But... well..."

Something on his face must have given his anxious disposition away, because Aqua immediately gave him a knowing smile that told him she was ready to tease.

"What is it?" She grinned, not a single ounce of stress on her face and this was the way he liked her best.

"Well..." His voice wavered. " _Some_ of the men, you know, kind of... don't... _wear_ anything underneath."

She snorted very loudly and eased herself into laughter, the sound of which made his heart jump. She was most beautiful laughing, and he had to control the aching need to touch her.

He continued, "I've had my fair share of sights today as it is."

"No!" Her hand was on her chest and her eyes were tearing from the laughter. "Tell me you're-"

"Of course I'm wearing shorts under it, Aqua," he stressed, his nose wrinkling as she laughed harder. "What is hard to deal with though is how the guys here just have these very _specific_ expectations of how I am supposed to act - like I'm not worth their respect otherwise."

"Tell me about it, it's _suffocating_. I swear, I think the queen mentioned the length of my hair _three_ times." She composed herself and wiped her tears. "Merida really struggles under this kind of pressure, which is a shame because she has such spirit and she's a great fighter. I'm grateful the Master doesn't force such insignificant and stupid rules on us, it's ridiculous. I wish I could take her with us."

"I would like to do the same for her..." Terra started to say and then fell silent. He didn't need to finish the sentence. They both knew that they could not mess with the political affairs of other worlds. Merida was just unlucky and he was no Robin Hood.

Merida however was lucky enough to have Aqua as a friend. She told him that she served mainly as a personal counselor for the princess: sparring with her, learning about archery, and meeting her trivial needs. Aqua gained the princess' trust fairly easily.

"Anyway, I asked you to come here for a reason." Aqua proceeded to take her brown dress off and toss it to the side, revealing a shorter but simple white cotton underdress with no sleeves. White was the best color on her. Her skin looked nice, too. She summoned her Keyblade and got serious, her upright posture ready to duel. "We can't slack off."

Terra summoned his own, grateful for the chance to practice so shortly before their exam. "Who said we would?"

Aqua, having trained with him since she was eight years old, utilized her acrobatic abilities to outmaneuver him. It was best for her not to directly encounter him head-on since he was a powerhouse, and she struck him whenever he left himself open, which happened more often than Terra would like to admit, since his attacks could get slow and wide as he pushed every ounce of strength into each blow. He could easily brutalize her if he caught her unguarded, but over time she barely allowed it. Of course, there was also her magic that he had to juggle as well. He bore magic too, but it never shone a light in comparison to her skill.

Because of this, Terra stumbled several times, as what had become usual in the last few weeks. Normally, he would have no trouble keeping up with her or making up for his mistakes. _She has improved so much in the last couple of years and I'm now falling behind. I'm sure the Master has noticed my lack of performance. ...Am I not going to be able to pass the exam?_

When their duel was over, Aqua headed over to the creek to rinse the sweat from her arms, neck, and face. He silently squatted next to her and did the same. It wasn't just the Master that he worried about. For as much as he admired Aqua, he wanted her to reciprocate. He wanted her to continue to see him as an equal. _What if she doesn't think that I am good enough for her anymore? What if I drag her down?_

"How did I do?" she asked. It was always the question that followed after a duel. Checking on their progress. This was the way the two of them held each other accountable for their work.

"You were incredibly difficult to pin down. You've been working hard, I can tell," he said.

She sighed, sounding as if she was relieved. It made sense. Progress was always a good sign. Terra didn't bother asking about his own performance, however. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear what she had to say.

She noticed that he didn't ask and went ahead with her thoughts anyway. "I was pulling new moves on you. You'll eventually get the pattern down in no time and start beating me. Definitely by the exam. I mean, you know me. You've done this longer and you're an amazing fighter. You'll see that I'll get predictable again." She leaned forward in order to meet his gaze, to make sure he got the message.

All of those words made sense. They were far softer than anything the Master would have told him. But it brought little comfort. The point was to be good enough to hear only words of praise out of her mouth. Terra nodded in return, thinking about how time had changed his perspective completely. Before, he had no trouble bracing himself for what she had to say. They were on this road to becoming Keyblade Masters together. Only together should they succeed, and only together could they improve.

But as he got older, as he noticed different features on her, as he started to feel new sensations in his body and the pangs of loneliness that came after, he yearned for her praise. He needed any ounce of proof that he could win her affections, that he could be something more than just her equal. It had been a few years since she was more to him after all. As time passed, it was less comfortable for him to hear her criticisms. He had to do better. He had to _be_ better.

She smacked him on the shoulder, a gracious smile on her face. "Hey, I'm not talking to myself for my health."

"Sorry." He forced a grin. "There's a lot to think about."

"Yeah." She nodded as she pursed her lips, the weight of the exam heavy in the air around them. But her eyes were bright and large and stunning anyway, and they locked with his. A pause between them. She chuckled and stood up, breaking the connection and it pained him a bit. She pulled her brown dress on and dusted off the dirt.

"I can't imagine the queen's fright if she saw me walking around in what is technically my underwear," she said. "I'm relieved that we fought. I needed to get away from all of those pointless rules."

It seemed as though she was trying to make him laugh, although he didn't give her what she wanted. She cleared her throat and gestured her head behind her. "C'mon, Terra. There is this secret passage that I want to show you back at the castle."

"Secret passage?"

"I asked Merida about it and she just showed it to me. It goes straight to her side of the castle." She stepped toward him.

"So we'll be sneaking around. The guys will never let it down if they ever find out."

"Then don't let them."

Another lingering look. Another nervous chuckle, Aqua and Terra together wondering about the implication of what sneaking around was supposed to mean.

* * *

Two nights after that duel, Terra sat with his best friend inside a room tucked away within the secret passage of the castle. It was the safest place for them to converse without any interruptions, expectations, or demands. They sat atop some dusty crates that the tens of people living within the castle had all forgotten about, eating lamb meat. Though Aqua made a passing comment that it had no flavor.

"You know," Aqua said, "the queen talked today about preparing Merida for a possible suitor for marriage. Three princes from other clans will arrive tomorrow." She sounded a bit apprehensive.

"I can't imagine that she would want that," Terra said.

"Maybe this is what the Master meant by fates changing for her? What am I supposed to do, though, Terra? Am I supposed to comfort her and make her feel at peace with the ceremony?"

"It's funny, I don't actually think it's the right thing to do." Terra imagined what Robin Hood would do. _To the depths of the deepest cracks of the earth with the idea of a forced marriage!_ But if only he was working in an actual fairy tale. He swallowed his flavorless meat, though he didn't mind it. "But still... you can't tell her _not_ to see it through. We can't actually affect how another world maintains its balance."

"I know, but I'd hate to agree with the queen on this one."

"Maybe you don't have to." Terra stopped eating. "So far, all we have done is observe. There is no darkness here. Maybe we should let it happen and see what Merida does."

Aqua nodded unenthusiastically. Terra noticed for the first time that she had stopped eating a while ago. "What's on your mind?" he asked.

Aqua smiled, though it wasn't her usual calm, collected grin. She was worried again. "I was thinking about the Keyblade Master coming. You know, Master Xehanort? Remember him?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. "He didn't spend a lot of time with us, though. He dropped Ventus off, and spoke with the Master for the most part. He _was_ a bit eccentric. He actually tuned that old piano in the ballroom, played for a bit, and then left rather abruptly when Ventus wouldn't wake up. I remember him expressing a desire to have dinner with us. He was very nice otherwise."

"I remember him being very knowledgeable when he was talking with the Master."

"You nervous?"

"Well, if you ask _me_ , he could never have a good reason to fail either of us. But that's just the one day he will see us. He won't get to see all the years we put into this."

"There's absolutely _no_ way you can fail, Aqua."

She sighed through her nose. "There's no way _you_ can fail, either. But even if we pass-"

"When."

"Okay, _when_ we pass..." Aqua looked a bit overwhelmed. "We have been training our whole lives for this. Aside from the house I left when I lost my family, I know nothing else except training for this one special day. We have been dreaming for this for so long. Once we become Masters, what is left for us?"

Terra found the question rather strange. _What else would she want besides being a Master?_

"You do realize we can suck as Masters, right?" He cut a piece of lamb, but did not eat it. "I mean, there must be _some_ incentive to be good at our jobs. Think of all the opportunities we will get to fail at our missions. Think about this scenario: we could tell Merida to relax about the marriage, and then she murders him."

Aqua laughed and it sounded genuine, as though he gave her an outlet to relax. He relished the thought that he could help her, even in small ways.

When she was done laughing, she opened her mouth as if to say something, but then stopped herself. She shuffled nervously and played with her food. _Was she expecting a different answer from me?_

"I'm so glad you and I are friends, Terra," she said softly as she held his forearm. She meant it.

While this should have been fantastic news to Terra, a part of him hurt to hear it.

* * *

The arrival of the neighboring clan members was met with a welcoming ceremony. Terra stood outside with the other men, garnishing fur on his shoulders. The king requested that all of his men should wear fur, as a representative of his kingdom. Bagpipe performers were there to welcome the guests with their music. Terra knew that Aqua, who was still in the castle, was enjoying it. That was always her favorite part of exploring new worlds: participating in the kinds of ceremonies, traditions, music, and dances that everyone else shared.

All the guests were escorted into the throne room. The suitors did nothing but boast about their accomplishments. Their fathers boasted more. Terra kept to himself, not really wanting to be part of this. He could be spending the time differently, with more interesting things to do. Such as sparring. When the feast officially began, he found a table off to the side, away from the thrones where he can sit by himself, a tall mug of ale in his hand. Nothing but a wallflower, watching the other guests converse and play competitive drinking games.

Merida arrived with her parents, followed swiftly by Aqua. Terra had his drink to his lips when he saw her, forgetting that he should be taking a sip of it. Aqua wore a brown dress again, but this one was... tighter than her simple cotton dress, hugging her curves. When she approached him, he could tell there was small embroidery detailing the fabric. She had a matching knotted headband around her head, contrasting with her blue hair.

"That looks tight," he told her, gesturing above her.

Aqua reached to touch her headband as she sat down next to him. "It is. But is that all you have to say?"

 _All I have to say?_

Terra never ventured into the territory of actually complimenting her looks. He always forced himself to stay calm when those kinds of feelings swelled. To hint at what he truly thought of her wasn't anything he needed to do. Not yet anyway. He needed time.

 _But now she's expecting me to say something._

"You look refined," he said.

She scoffed and tugged at his fur, a contemptuous smile on her face. "You look refined, too."

He laughed and sipped his drink. The immediate sensation that followed burned his throat and sent chills up to his forehead. This ale was the strongest he had ever tried. He looked over to Merida, sitting on the throne. It was quite obvious that she was frustrated, a huge scowl on her face as she crossed her arms. She tossed glares toward her mother when the queen wasn't looking.

"She's happy," he said.

"It was incredibly difficult getting her into that corset," Aqua said, lowering her voice, as if scared that anyone would hear her. "Have you met the suitors?"

Terra leaned over to her and whispered, "they're idiots."

Aqua closed her eyes slowly and pursed her lips, taking a long exhale. She quickly shook her head, as though she was trying to shake off the oncoming stress that she undoubtedly felt in the moment. She stared at Terra's hands.

"What's that like?" she asked with a gentle nod toward his drink.

"You won't like it."

"How would you know that?" She cocked her head to the side.

He looked at her, close enough to see the individual strands of her hair. His peripheral vision was aware of the tightness of her dress, the way it shaped her chest and waist. _Stay calm_. "Because I know you."

"So then what, I can't try the drink out? I can't relax and let go at a party?" She smiled and her eyes looked like they sparkled. _Stay calm._

An older gentleman sat in front of them. This was a man Terra recognized, who often worked with the cows. He was normally pleasant, and answered any questions Terra had about the sheep without a witty remark. He had his own ale, his breath stinking of alcohol. He hiccuped and burped.

"That's not a drink for cute ladies, lass, even ones who want to look like boys," the man said to her.

Aqua's pleasant expression froze for a bit as she stared at the man. Never, in the entire time that Terra knew her, did she ever tolerate being treated differently because she was a girl. But it wasn't just this. Aqua could get competitive, sometimes strongly so if she was provoked enough. The flash in her eyes told him this.

The worst thing that could ever be said to her was that she was cute.

"We'll see about that," she said, in the most polite way she could have mustered it when she looked like she really wanted to slap the man.

She grabbed Terra's drink from in front of him and took a large gulp. She shivered as her face contorted and her mouth was left open. When she composed herself, she narrowed her eyes at Terra, as if to say that she couldn't believe he would ever go near such a nasty thing.

The man laughed at her, shaking his head at her hideous expression and took a huge swallow of his own drink.

Another man approached the table. He was younger, and wore the red kilt and blue facial paint that labeled him as part of the Macintosh clan. He placed his hand on Aqua's shoulder. "What's a proper lady doing with a drink like that?"

She pulled her shoulder away from his grasp.

"There is no such thing as a _proper_ lady," she told him, rolling her eyes in the most obvious way she could. She forced herself to drink more of the ale, frowning and distorting her chin with each swallow.

 _There she goes._ Terra knew that she wouldn't pass the chance of proving these morons wrong.

"Aqua," Terra whispered to her. "You never drank this much before. Are you sure you're going to be okay with this?"

She shot him a glare. _That was the wrong thing to say._

As if betrayed by his question, she lifted the mug to her lips, taking several gulps of the ale without stopping. She finished, moaning from the disgust, and slammed the mug on the table. She continued to glare at him, the men around them laughing and teasing about her tenaciousness. She wavered a bit, blinking a bit too much. Her cheeks were flushed, and her frown severe. _I'm not sure drinking that much that fast was a good idea._

The men continued to make jokes about her, and while she tried to interject, they never allowed her to. She was losing her sharp wit. Eventually, she was left to lean on her elbows as the men continued to taunt, unable to reply. She held her hand to her head, as though she had a headache. Part of it was probably the headband. Terra, afraid to say anything to provoke her further, watched her.

It was at this time that the queen had announced that a competition of some kind was to be held in order to win Merida's hand in marriage. Merida declared archery, a skill that she never hesitated to show off on the castle grounds. It was a skill that he immediately noticed when he first met her in the forest.

"I guess something big is going to happen tomorrow," he said. "This is probably what we've been waiting for."

"I just want to get all of this over with," she said sluggishly. "I want to go back home."

A maid brought Terra another mug of ale. He waved his hand to reject it, but the fact that only _Terra_ was offered it set Aqua on edge.

"Hey, I'm over here, too," she mumbled as she leaned over the table. The maid set the mug down, but in front of Terra.

He wasn't able to take a sip of his new drink, because Aqua grabbed it and swallowed some more. _I guess it doesn't matter. It's probably better that I stay alert for both our sake._

"Ugh, why won't anyone take me seriously here?" she said as she slammed the mug down and wiped her mouth.

The man from the Macintosh clan leaned over and grabbed her by both of her shoulders. Terra could see that he was massaging them, and his own jaw clenched a bit with anger. The man's breath was incredibly strong, traveling too far for someone who was slightly drunk.

"Why don't you learn to behave the way you should, lass? Have some honor? Grow your hair out?" He laughed, clearly amused, and possibly aroused, by her behavior.

Terra started to reach over to push the guy off of her, but Aqua shrugged his shoulders off herself, and stood up to face him. He was a head taller than she was.

"Who gave you permission to grab me?" she asked, her speech the tiniest bit slurred. Terra stood up alongside her, attentive and watching for any small movements that might indicate the start of a struggle.

"Aw, lookit how the girlie thinks she can to talk to me this way." The man grabbed her arm and attempted to pull her toward him.

Aqua aggressively shook his grip off while reaching for Terra.

She leaned on Terra and kicked the man on the middle of his stomach, sending him backward against the wall behind him. "Don't touch me!"

The surrounding men collectively guffawed together, marking on how such a weakling could be overcome by a simple service woman. Terra knew what that meant. Hurt pride. Shameful reputation. A man from a different clan altogether would consider this an insult since he represented his own group.

And it seemed that Terra was right. The Macintosh clansman immediately contorted into rage.

But the slightest movement that was his first attempt to lunge toward Aqua was thwarted.

Terra stood in front of her, blocked his attempts to grab her, and punched him squarely in the jaw. He then grabbed the man by the throat and pushed him back up against the wall.

"Don't go near her again," Terra said to him, sternly but softly. A threat only meant for him, not for any one else to hear.

This change in events sparked an uproar among the men that had worked alongside Terra for the past several days. Compliments of how he had grown to be a man were showered on him. Statements such as _looks like we got a brawler_ _in our midst_ were passed around as one of the older men ruffled through Terra's hair.

But it didn't make Terra feel any better. The last time he came up against another person in such a way was when he was still in the orphanage. The Macintosh clansman of course was insulted, and called for justice to right this horrible embarrassment. Lord Macintosh took notice of course, and demanded an explanation.

This was exactly what Terra had wanted to avoid. He could be thrown into the dungeon for this. Aqua leaned on a chair, her hand still to her head and not entirely aware of what was going on. _I can't leave her alone like this._

The king, however, brushed off any concerns. "What is it, Lord Macintosh? Your men can't stay away from things that aren't theirs? Let the man protect his woman."

Terra was tense and expected some sort of retort from Aqua, who probably didn't have the judgment anymore to tell her that she shouldn't speak back to the king. But she didn't say anything. She actually gazed into his eyes, a pale look on her face. He knew her well enough to understand what they said. They told him she wanted out. That she wanted some comfort from the pounding headache, from all the unwanted attention, and from her own mistakes.

The men continued to grant hard slaps on Terra's back for growing some real courage, of which he had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

He gently held her elbow and asked her what she wanted. Some alone time and rest, she told him. He began to escort her away from the table until he reached the stairs leading up the ward that should lead to the royal chambers. He caught sight of the queen, who gestured to him that it would be alright. Merida leaned over to see what was happening, a look of worry plain as day on her face. The noises of the hollering from the throne room faded away, as was the collective scent of alcohol when they entered the ward.

He held Aqua's arm as they walked down the halls, asking her to lead him to her room.

"Terra, am I that boyish?" she asked him as she stopped in front of a small wooden door, in a hallway of many.

He pushed the door open for her. "Well, honestly it's not important. But for your information, you're absolutely not."

Her room was tiny, almost like a walk-in closet. There was a small wardrobe and a bed with wool blankets. A candlestick stood on the tiny stool next to the bed, and he lit it. There was a bucket of water for washing and a small window. Better than sharing many bunks with snoring men who smelled of livestock.

He left her leaning on the wall while he looked through her wardrobe.

"I'm going to find you something comfortable to wear, then I'll leave you to it," he said as he sifted through some clothes. He heard a thump, and looked over to see her collapsed on her bed, with her shoes and everything else on. "Or not," he muttered to himself.

He wiggled the boots off her feet and placed them gently on the floor, careful not to disturb her. He then stared at the headband. _Her headache is going to be bad enough when she wakes up._

He reached over to take it off, trying not to wake her. But the headband was tight, and it pulled on her hair.

"Don't touch me!" She slapped him across the nose. He stumbled backward as his face stung and throbbed from the hit. Touching his nose only brought more pain as he groaned out loud.

She sat up quickly. "Terra, is that you?"

"Aqua, who _else_ would it be?" His nose bled a little and he took a rag that laid on the stool rest to his face.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry." She reached out to him, her eyes squinting.

He held up his free hand and chuckled. "I'm innocent, please spare me."

She laughed, perhaps a little too much over his pain. "So how did I do?"

"It was a perfect strike. You've been practicing," he said in between some laughs and inspections of the rag to see how much he had been bleeding. He sat on the bed in front of her, noticing that the rag has been showing less signs of blood. "I was trying to get that headband off of you."

"It is tight." She nodded, her eyes drooping.

"Let me then."

She stood still and he reached over, trying to find the knots that would untangle such a piece from her hair. She whimpered in pain from his attempts.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"S'okay." She stared into his eyes while he continued to struggle with the headpiece. She wore a goofy grin. "Did anyone tell you that they're the color of the ocean?"

He smirked and shook his head. "You, apparently. Did anyone tell you that your breath stinks?"

She scoffed and he finally set the headpiece loose. She sighed loudly, reaching into her hair as she massaged her scalp. "That feels _so_ much better. Thanks, Terra."

She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. It could have been a grateful, sisterly peck. But it wasn't. She had kissed him close to his nose, and while it hurt, Terra's heart was pounding too much for him to care. And she lingered, too. Close enough that he could see how her eyes reflected the light of the candle in the room, searching his own before they wandered downward.

She touched the edge of his lips with her own, soft and puckered. Then she moved to kiss him again, inching closer to him. He allowed himself to lean against her as he kissed her back, taking in the softness of her mouth and relishing the taste of the bitter alcohol, which he truly didn't mind. This was certainly different - of that he was sure. They had kissed a few years before. It was simple and innocent enough. And it was only done once. But this kind of yearning between them was everything he could have ever wanted. His heart beat so fast, it might as well tear itself out of his chest and dance down the hills outside.

 _Am I taking advantage of her, though?_

He held her by her biceps and pushed her away. Her eyes scattered around the room, and she was nodding off. She didn't ask what went wrong. It didn't even look she registered what happened.

"What am I going to do with you?" He sighed loudly, unable to control how shaky he sounded. _Stay calm._

"What?" She asked this incredibly slowly, as if it took her a while to calculate what he was saying.

A stifled laugh. "You're a dork."

"That's so rude." She sounded sleepy.

"I think you should rest."

She smiled sheepishly while her eyes closed. "Okay."

He laid her down and covered her with the blankets. Blowing out the candle, he tip-toed out of the room and shut the door behind him as quietly as he could. He leaned on the door, not bothering to control the smile that stretched from ear to ear. He rubbed his face as an attempt to manage his emotions, his hands shaking. Realizing that he was standing in the hallway where all of the maids must have slept, he sneaked out of there, finding the wall panel which would lead him down the secret passage, where he could eventually find his own bed.

He was the only one back in the large bunk room. Lying in bed, he tried counting sheep in order to fall asleep. This was futile, though. First of all, he didn't want to think about sheep when he wasn't herding them. Secondly, his heart just wouldn't allow it. It beat hard, and Terra tossed and turned as he asked himself what that kiss meant.

Did it mean that she felt something for him? Did it mean that she cared for him in the same way? Did she enjoy it? He was excited at these ideas and was desperate to ask her.

But what if he read her wrong? She was drunk, after all. What if she was just acting up? What if she _regretted_ it?

This last thought hurt most of all, because it meant that he should stop hoping for anything he wanted. His stomach began to grumble, unable to handle all of these conflicting questions. _I hope she doesn't regret it._

In reality, Terra spent hours in bed, staring at the moon through the window frame until it drifted out of his sight. He then stared at bottom of the bunker above him, analyzing every small detail of that kiss until a time when he couldn't remember when he had fallen asleep.

* * *

 _ **To be Continued...**_


	4. Volume IV: A Tale of Stars, Pt 1

_**Summary:** Terra meets Aqua for the first time, and doesn't know how to comfort her pain. Or how to handle her at all.  
Terra is 9, Aqua is 8.  
 **Rating: K**_

 **First scene is based on a drawing by Imaginative-Joy, which you can find on my profile! This is kind of pseudo-fluff, with some horror/dark elements to it -**  
 **I like to be the deviant after all dfkjsklgd. I also thought that Nomura really sold himself short when he didn't use**  
 **Final Fantasy characters like Ardyn in his games - such a lost potential.**

* * *

Terra knelt down on his knees in the dark hallway, overlooking the corner ahead of him. The door to the Master's office was partly open, a faint light seeping out. This meant that only the desk lamp was on. The Master would never be able to figure out if something (or someone) was hiding out in the shadows behind him, ready to strike.

Gripping his wooden sword in his hand and whispering a silent promise to save the Master at all costs, Terra scuffled towards the door. The Master was there alright, reading through some papers. The lamp illuminated everything on his desk, but it was barely able to touch the bookshelves, the empty fireplace, or the trophies, gifts, and souvenirs that the Master collected over his many years of being a Keyblade hero. He didn't notice that Terra was at the door watching him. How clumsy.

Terra crept as quietly as he could. He froze when the Master sneezed and wiped his face. Onward he went when the coast was clear until he managed to stand behind his father-figure.

"Take that, freaky _pointy_ monster!" Terra swung his sword and stabbed it up through the ponytail that stood awkwardly out from the top of the Master's head.

"If it's that unsightly, perhaps I should cut it," Eraqus said, flipping through the pages as though nothing had ever happened.

"But then you won't be yourself anymore." Terra pulled his sword out from his latest hunt. His Master was safe. All was good for the night. "I don't want you to change."

As if Eraqus suddenly remembered that a young boy needing attention was in the room, he rubbed his eyes and leaned back away from his desk. Terra smiled and nearly jumped. The castle was always empty and quiet unless he was running around and yelling, saving any object he picked to be his rescue victim from imaginary dangers.

"You have far too much energy so close to bedtime," Eraqus said, patting the boy's head. "Let's go. I've spent too much time focusing on these documents that I've nearly forgotten to review your studies."

It was time to impress, and Terra darted out of the office. He knew where they were going, and he knew he was going to be the perfect student that the Master could ever ask for.

* * *

They walked beyond the gardens and out onto a hilly valley where there was a clearing by a small creek. Terra was never allowed this far from the castle by himself, but with Eraqus trailing close behind him, he was given the freedom to take them wherever he wanted. The creek downhill was the best stop. Terra leaped and tumbled all the way down the hill laughing, until he eventually rolled to a stop. He eyed the stars for a bit until he could hear the Master make his way in his own pace.

He swung his legs as he stood up, with plenty of energy to circle the area around, looking for his cue. The Master settled by the creek. _Bingo_. He marked his target, sprinted, and hurled himself onto the Master's back from behind.

Eraqus let out a loud gasp, and chuckled as he grabbed Terra by the shoulders.

"I'm getting too old for this," he said as he flipped Terra over him. The boy had the proper reflexes to land on his feet.

"How am I supposed to test my awesome skills if I can't use them on you?" Terra rolled over to a kneeling position as he settled on his knees.

Eraqus cleared his throat as if to make a protest and Terra realized his mistake. "Sir. I need to test my awesome skills on you in order to improve, Master sir."

The Master chuckled and gently shook his head. "Three years you have been my pupil and still I have to remind you to mind the hierarchy of which you work under."

"Whoops." He then cleared his own throat. "Uh, I mean, whoops, sir."

A smile under that bushy mustache formed, and Eraqus didn't attempt to hide it. He never really hid any of his laughs. But Terra knew better than to relax when his lessons were going to be discussed.

"Well now, your studies," the Master began. "I've had you read two books on the formations of all worlds. If I am not mistaken, you have learned about a brief history of the great Keyblade War, and the legends that tell of how the worlds were separated. Here is your question: no matter which world you would visit, no matter who you may end meeting someday in the future, what is the one thing that will always be present?"

Terra looked down at the fists he was making on his thighs, his knees buried into the grass. _What was the right answer?_

He knew the Master always told him that no answer was a perfect one. He was never given tests, and was always questioned verbally, or given assignments to write out his interpretations. But sometimes he made mistakes. And if he ever wanted to be Keyblade Master one day, he needed to perform perfectly.

He raised his head to meet his Master's gaze. "The worlds used to all be one, under the light of Kingdom Hearts. When they separated, they carried with them a piece of that original whole. Light will always be there." He held his breath.

"That was perhaps the most excellent answer I could have asked out of you," the Master said with an exhale through his nose. He rubbed the hair on Terra's head. "You have been growing so much as a student these past few years."

"Master, I have a question."

"Please, elaborate."

"Well, it sounds like you _know_ that light is going to be there, giving life to each world. But _how_ do you know that it's there?"

"Simple. You merely have to look up towards the sky."

"The... sky, sir?" Twinkling stars spread across every inch of the black sky above him.

"Yes. The light we are speaking of are the hearts of every world out there. Much like your own heart is beating a beam of light." Eraqus leaned closer, as Terra was entranced by the truth of the stars. All these years he watched them, ever since he set foot on these mountains, and he never noticed. "And we can see them," the Master continued. "I cannot demonstrate just how far away they really are from us, and yet we are witness to their glory. They all shine down, like a million lanterns upon us."

Terra continued to stare upward as he thought about what was told to him. He placed a hand on his chest. "What about my light? Can that be seen?"

Eraqus laughed silently. "The light within each of us is bright, that is for certain. Not the same size as the heart of a world, of course, these worlds are very large, so we can see them from so far away. But your light is there, all the same."

"Then how do I know that it's there? Is there a way I can look at it?"

Eraqus smile transformed into a hard line, and Terra swallowed a lump in his throat. _What did I say wrong?_

The Master closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, as if to calm himself. "Terra, you remember how I have told you that a Keyblade is an extremely dangerous weapon in the wrong hands."

"Y-yes, sir." Hearts were made of light and darkness. He remembered. "It is forbidden to harm, to touch, or to remove a heart."

His Master's stern expression softened, and he nodded. "You must have faith that it will always be there to guide your way. And your heart will connect with others, like mine. The light you create as you form these bonds will burn brighter, and will continue to shine on whatever path you take. Do you understand what that means?"

"That if I have friends, and if I have you, I can't go wrong?" _Please let that be the right answer._

"Yes, that's right. I will always be there to watch over you." The Master ruffled through Terra's hair again, seemingly with more to say, but he stopped himself short. "Speaking of making connections, Terra, firstly I want to say that I am sorry I haven't been able to spend as much time with you as typical."

Terra wanted to say that he wished they could play together more often, but the Master was very busy doing important, heroic things. "It's okay, sir."

Eraqus smiled but shook his head. _Is he happy and sad at the same time?_

"Well," the Master said, "I have been gathering information on a certain incident that happened far away in another world. A great darkness has appeared, and I'm afraid something terrible has happened."

"Sir?"

Eraqus took a deep breath. "A darkness as black as what had just appeared will be old and powerful. It tried to target a child there, and therefore she is a person of interest. She could be someone that may join our school here. Maybe you might get to make a new friend."

"A new friend?" Terra had left the orphanage behind, although those kids he used to live with weren't exactly friends.

He used to write letters to them often, but eventually the letters he received in return dwindled down until he wrote to nothing but silence. It hurt too much after a while to continue writing.

"Yes. Whether she joins us is up to her. But I want you to listen carefully: she will be grieving the loss of her parents. I would like to take you there with me, as I hope that your presence there will be of comfort to her. Our main concern is not that she should join, but that she remains safe and that she heals from her pain."

"Yes, Master. I will do my best."

He didn't know what to expect. He didn't know what was expected of him either, or how to make someone who lost her parents feel better. He never knew his own, after all.

They continued to star-gaze as time slipped by without them noticing. It was only when Terra started yawning that Eraqus finally suggested going back to the castle. The boy didn't remember how he got from walking back up the hill to being carried into his room.

That short nap sufficed enough, however. When all was dark and he thought about light and how it must be shining from his heart, Terra left his bed.

The Master said that he had light for certain. It still didn't make sense, though. He carefully made his way to face his mirror, trying not to trip over the mess he always seemed to neglect. He attempted to summon magic, to summon light - by bidding a little prayer - to see if maybe, in this dark room, he can see his own shining.

But he saw nothing.

* * *

After breakfast, Terra raced to the Master's office. He was all ready to go, which meant that the day was starting perfectly - this mission should pass with ease.

With the sun shining through the windows, he could see exactly what the Master was reading the night before. The papers were fairly large, the lettering handwritten. They were tied together with ribbons, so they weren't exactly in a book quite yet. Sprawled open was a couple of paragraphs of text, and a hand-painted image of a man with his shoulders slumped over. It looked like he was completely covered in oil, with his hair the color of the wine the Master liked to drink. He was drawn with one hand lifted up like a claw, oil dripping far below it.

The Master broke his gaze from the painting. "Terra, do you remember what I said when it comes to traveling to other worlds?"

Terra stood as straight as he could, the perfect posture for a Keyblade wielder. "That the worlds need to keep their balance restored, so we can't talk about things like Keyblades or the existence of other worlds. If we have to use magic or if we have to fight, we let the people make up their own reasons to explain what they saw. Keyblade wielders will fade away as legends that the citizens share stories about."

"Very good." The Master traced his fingers on the text. "This will be the darkness that she must be protected from."

"Who is he?"

"There is no formal name. The records here have different ways to call him. The Shadow Man. The Man in the Hat. The Man in the Long Black Coat." The Master exhaled slowly. "He was human, once. Traded his heart for darkness when he was betrayed by his family, and he has festered for a few hundred years since. ... There is mention here that he may be blind, but that is not confirmed. I wonder if that has anything to do with how he seeks out light."

Terra swallowed a lump in his throat. On the one hand, this was too scary. On the other, he was too little to do anything and be a hero.

"Your only job, Terra, is to make sure she stays comfortable." The Master began to leave his office, leaving the pages open on his desk.

"Why would he go after her?"

"All children have a bright light within them. I suppose hers is particularly bright enough for him to desire. You see, light attracts darkness, and darkness hunts light. Part of being a Keyblade wielder means that we do not allow the darkness to consume anything."

Terra stopped for a moment, his hand on his heart. What if the Shadow Man went after his own light? Assuming he had a strong light anyway. Maybe the reason why he couldn't see it was because it was actually dim and weak.

But this wasn't an appropriate time to ponder such a question. The Master kept going ahead of him, and the boy silenced his thoughts as he ran after.

* * *

All the roads in that smallest of towns were made of dirt. They had initially landed in a larger town further up north, only to find out they were in the wrong place. The girl apparently had moved with her parents from there to a sizable farmhouse out in the countryside. So the Master and his pupil walked south, past what looked like an endless ocean of green fields and forests. But the heat was the worst. Even though he was wearing a loose shirt and khaki shorts, it was humid and oppressive, like something was applying pressure to his every pore, and there was no breeze to comfort.

The smaller town bore a few houses, a post office, a general store that was the only one to exist in the entire place, and a railroad train station. Every building was made of wood. It was weird to Terra, to say the least, how tiny this place was. Nothing like the enormous city he was from.

Inside the general store sat two women in cotton dresses and sun hats, and a man wearing overalls who smoked a cigar. Eraqus bought Terra a lime-flavored soda pop to cool him off and some fudge with almonds. The Master then made a passing comment that, considering how humid it was, the winters here must be the kind that seeped into the bones. This sounded like a good idea to Terra.

Eraqus introduced himself to the two women there as an investigator from the nearby city. He began asking them questions, although they were the kind of women to blabber on and on about gossip (they didn't need any questions).

"I don't know what kind of sins they've committed to have such atrocities delivered onto them-" one began.

"Oh no, they hadn't done nothing to deserve that. I knew them-" the other followed.

"Yes, yes. Saints they were. And that poor little girl-"

"It happened right in the middle of the day. In the bright sunshine-"

"I heard the darlin' didn't see anything. She was in school-"

"And everything was gone-"

"Yes, everything. The entire farmhouse house burned to the ground. And did you hear-"

"About their livestock? Coroner said that they were all poisoned-"

The women were incredibly enamored with these stories, almost as if what they were discussing wasn't actually terrible. The man with the cigar interrupted them, waving his free hand around as he got excited over his own information.

"Things ain't the same no more. Before, you used to trust a man with your own huntin' dog," he said.

The women nodded and agreed with him. One of them lifted her hands up and said, "Amen."

"Somethin's amiss," he continued. "Ever since that man came into town."

Eraqus at this point took his turn to interrupt, his arms crossed. "I have come to investigate him as well. Can you tell me more?"

The man took a slow puff of his cigar. "You from the city? Listen here, you city folk don't know what yer doing. It's because of you people that our quiet town is gettin' corrupted." He took another puff.

One of the ladies spoke. "The strange man _must_ have been from the city. No one's seen him before-"

The other took her cue to join in. "Yes, and all those horrible stories I'm starting to hear. Have you heard about-"

"Jim Bob going mad? Yes, I heard. Peaceful man otherwise-"

"And then he lost his rockers out in the woods and beat his horse dead-"

"It's terrible business. And the fog we are getting out west? It's too hot for that-"

"And several farmers talking about how their crops are rotting-"

"And of course, the preacher's daughter-"

"She was blossoming into such a nice young lady-"

The man with the cigar interrupts again. "We had some men round up to huntin' this guy down after hearing about her disappearance. He's the biggest suspect we have in these violent crimes. He came here once. Sat right there." He pointed to a specific table, right in front of Terra. "I swear on the Good Book that there was dust on 'im."

Eraqus again took this opportunity. "Did he give a name?"

The man groaned a bit. "Ardyn. Funny name. Dressed like a homeless person, too. He had a funnier surname that I can't recall. But I swear on the Good Book, this land has been forsaken. The devil's afoot."

"I see." Eraqus grabbed a map that was on display. "The girl who lost her parents, where is she staying now?"

One of the women spoke. "She's staying with the Widow Tweed, a neighbor. Due south. You'll pass by the girl's old farm on the way. May the Lord continue to bless her."

The Master then ended the conversation by asking for directions to the girl's lost farm, promising to investigate the crops, the insane farmers, and the preacher's missing daughter. Terra felt relieved when they left the store, happy to have some peace and quiet.

"Those people are a little crazy," he said loud enough for the Master to hear.

Eraqus chuckled, probably thinking the same thing.

Nevertheless, the Master gave Terra a long lecture about how he should always give people the benefit of the doubt, and to help others even when they didn't seem like they deserve it. A good Keyblade wielder would be able to use proper judgment when the time came.

They passed by a group of boys playing together. Terra eyed them, since it was years that he had seen other kids.

Eraqus asked him if he would like to play with them, since it was hard enough for Terra to be the only student at the academy.

In truth, Terra wanted to, but memories of him being kicked and shunned by the other children at the orphanage flooded his mind.

He replied with a simple, solemn _No_ , keeping his eyes ahead to where the Master was leading him, beyond the town limits.

* * *

It was yet another long walk, sweat dripping down his sides and soaking his shirt. They passed by what Terra assumed was the remains of the girl's farmhouse. If it still stood, it would have been wide, and maybe two stories tall. In its state now, everything was charred black, and the house was reduced to just some of its foundations. There was an abandoned barn nearby, the door to it barely hanging on. The outer walls to the barn had some scorch marks. The grass was starting to overgrow, and it was quiet.

This used to be someone's home. This girl would never come back to sleep in her bed, or talk to her parents again.

What if that were to happen, where the Master left and never came home? Terra gripped Eraqus' robes as the Master surveyed the damage. He reminded Terra how important it was to make sure that the girl was comforted, because this was her dire time of need.

It wasn't long after that through some woods that they came across another, livelier farm. It was far smaller than the destroyed one, although homely. A barn also stood behind this house, and Terra can see a chicken roaming around as some laundry hung on a wooden hamper. Further south was another farm in the distance - it looked functional but was much more run-down than this one.

These two farms were lonely, behind them were nothing but forests and shrubbery.

Eraqus knocked on the door and a middle-aged woman with a round face donning glasses answered the door, introducing herself as the Widow Tweed. The Master went through the same lie, where he was an investigator and a counselor, and asked about the girl. The widow invited them in and gave Terra a glass of water while she spoke of the girl.

"I just couldn't leave her all alone, the poor thing is far too young to go through such a disaster," she said as she shook her head. Her voice was incredibly soft and compassionate. "I try my best to keep things normal for her. I take her to school, and I encourage her to continue her dance lessons. Aqua hasn't really cried much yet from what I've seen, but I'm not sure what she's doing when she's by herself. I suppose her mood is going to change everyday."

Eraqus smiled gently as he sipped his own water. "She's blessed to have you there for her."

When Terra finished his drink, the widow offered to take the glass from him. He remembered that it was absolutely necessary for him to be on his best behavior. "Thank you, ma'am," he said as she took it.

She got absolutely giddy with his reaction. "He is _so_ polite, it's nice to see that children are still being raised with manners." This meant he did well. She put the glass on her kitchen counter. "I don't have much space for you, but the two of you can stay in the barn with Abigail. She's a good girl, so she shouldn't bother you much."

There was no telling who Abigail was, but Eraqus was more concerned about Terra being able to meet Aqua before talking to her himself.

Mrs. Tweed lifted her hand to her face. "The only living thing that has truly helped her is Tod, my pet fox. She spends most of her time with him. She's out back. Terra can go talk to her if he pleases."

Eraqus placed a firm hand on Terra's shoulder. It was a lie if Terra didn't say he was nervous. He was always horrible at making friends, so how he could he help her when he didn't know anything about her?

Still, this was a mission, and he could not fail.

Just beyond the brick fencing that kept Mrs. Tweed's farm intact, he saw her. She sat on a rock, her blue hair done in pigtails. She wore a simple blue cotton dress with a pink plaid apron, and a fox rested on her lap. When he approached her, she looked up at him, her incredibly large sapphire eyes emotionless.

"Hi, Aqua," he said as he weakly waved his hand. "I'm Terra. My Master and I are guests at your house." It was probably a stupid thing to say, but he had nothing else.

She stared at him with a blank expression for a bit before looking back down to pet Tod. _What am I supposed to say now?_

Maybe he could ask who did her hair that way. Maybe he could ask about her parents. No, that was a stupid idea, it would only make her sad.

"That's a nice fox you have there," he said. And he hated the way he said it.

"His name's Tod," she said. Her voice was incredibly small, so low that if there was any other noise besides the sound of crickets, he wouldn't have heard her.

"That's a nice name."

And the conversation ended. He could ask how Tod got such a name, or he could ask if she liked to play with him. Terra found himself wishing that the Master was there to help him.

Tod's ears perked up, and the fox searched in one direction with his eyes. A puppy came running toward them, although the first thing it did was sniff Terra's ankles. There was no way to avoid it - Terra was gleeful at the sight, and bent down to rub the belly of the hound dog that was jumping up at him.

"His name is Copper," he heard Aqua say, in that same small voice. "He's Tod's best friend." She eyed him, waiting for his reply.

This was strange... A fox and a hound dog share some similar genes, but one was clearly meant to attract the attention of the other, and the other was meant to hunt down the one.

"Aren't they kind of... opposites?" Terra asked. "I mean, isn't a hound dog supposed to be trained to hunt and trap a fox?"

It must have been the question, because Terra knew that he didn't mean to hurt her feelings. Her gaze fell to the ground as Tod jumped off her lap to wrestle with Copper and she kept quiet. She didn't look as though she was going to cry, but it was an expression that told him her dreams were crushed.

"Well," he said, rubbing his arms, "if they want to be friends, then they can be friends. They don't have to follow what people expect them to. This is a sign that every living thing can coexist and..." He stopped. He was blabbing, and he knew that no one liked it.

Aqua again didn't reply to him, and simply stood up to leave him alone as she followed Tod and Copper when they raced into the woods. _That sucked._

Not that Eraqus did any better. She came back with Tod during the evening, when Mrs. Tweed introduced her to him. Upon hearing that he was a grief counselor, Aqua simply turned away to walk upstairs.

"I already spoke to counselors," she muttered, without even looking Eraqus in the eye.

The Master didn't seem upset by her reaction, and simply let her walk away without saying anything. He stopped Mrs. Tweed from apologizing, giving his understanding to the situation.

She thus showed the two of them the barn where they would be staying. Abigail was a tall cow, and only a cow could look that bored while munching on the hay that was laid before her. Terra couldn't help himself but to pet her, and he giggled loudly when she mooed at him. The sound was so loud, and so ridiculous, how could he _not_ laugh?

"Keep at it, and we'll never be able to go to sleep," he heard the Master say. Eraqus was already adjusting some loose hay that stood in piles in the corner of the barn.

Terra jumped onto a pile. It was spongey, but warm. Ugh, it was already a hot, humid night, and this was unpleasant. Still, he knew better than to complain too much. A Keyblade wielder never bickered about the kindness of strangers.

"I can't seem to talk to her, Master," he said as he stared at the ceiling. High in the barn was an open window, and he could see a sky full of stars.

Eraqus sighed. "You need to have patience, she's grieving. Her emotions will be all over the place. You need to expect that some days will be really hard, and some days she will act more normally."

Terra wanted to hear that it would get easier. But having patience in this moment meant nothing.

"But I don't even _know_ how to talk to her." Terra sounded like he was whining, but he couldn't help himself.

The Master stood up. "You do not need to know anything. You just need to wait patiently. Have faith that she wants and needs someone to talk to - we all do when we are hurting. When the time is right for her, she will open up."

He made it sound so easy. Terra didn't ask any more questions, and the Master pulled out a necklace with an elaborate knot. It looked like the kind of pendant he picked up on some faraway world, just like all the trinkets he had in his office. He gave it to Terra, and motioned him to wear it.

When Terra put it on, the Master placed two fingers on the decorative knot. A light shined brightly.

"I have put a spell on this," Eraqus said. "It is a protective spell. It can only be used once, so remember my words. If anything were to happen, the first thing you will need to do is to stay calm. The second thing to remember is that the spell will transport you to a place near me. You then have to find me. Do I make myself clear?"

Terra grabbed the knot and hid it under his shirt, determined to memorize the words. Step one, stay calm. Step two, find the Master.

"Yes, sir." It was far easier than dealing with her.

 **To be continued...**


	5. Volume V: A Tale of Secrets

**Summary:** _Aqua and Terra learn a tough lesson. But they stay together, through the secrets they share.  
Terra is 15, Aqua is 14._  
 **Rating: K+**

* * *

The whole point of venturing out into the wilderness was to get some peace and quiet for the two of them. Aqua knew on some level this expectation was a little ironic, given the fact that when their Keyblades clashed, they would be making a ton of noise.

It was the job of the Keyblade wielder to make sure that the nature of such things was kept secret when they visited worlds. If they wanted to spar, they would have to do it away from prying eyes. Some of Eraqus' contacts in this world already knew about it, yet his two students had no choice but to follow the rules.

But no spot was good enough for their training - and how could any be? This world was nothing short of _spectacular_. The trees were massive, and so tall that she nearly fell backward trying to find the canopies above her. The mountains here were far more impressive than the ones back home, and while they were all covered in snow, the valleys were still vibrant with green. Some of the rivers hustled through shrubbery, while others clashed into glaciers. While it was far too cold for her (so cold, in fact, that Eraqus' contacts have gifted all of them leather and fur pelts with amazingly soft hoods for warmth), Terra absolutely embraced it.

Which was why he led the way. Every time they thought they picked a nice spot for their practice, he got interested in some other river, some other waterfall, some other ledge, some chipmunk or a moose, and every nook and cranny he cast his eyes on.

Aqua eyed his shoulders, of all things, as he went ahead. He was soon to turn sixteen, and it showed. He was suddenly a head taller than her, when they had always been the same height. His voice continued to get deeper, while hers remained stable for a long time. And his shoulders… was that the pelt making them look wider or was it really him? He was so lanky otherwise.

His Keyblade, Earthshaker, also showed some signs of change. It grew longer and wider, much to Terra's contentment. She had once rolled her eyes when they summoned their Keyblades for the very first time, when he cried out that he was going to have the biggest, strongest, most _awesomest_ Keyblade that ever existed, and whatever other silly bragging rights that eleven-year-old boys believed were important at that age.

It made sense that certain things had to change at some point. Aqua was not getting nearly as tall, but she was changing in other ways. She definitely noticed the growing pains, how her body was starting to make her look more adult, and the fact that she now had to take care of herself on a monthly basis. Eraqus even bought a book on women's health for her, admitting that he unfortunately had no knowledge of such things, but if she ever needed a companion to talk to...

Red-faced and stumbling on her words, she graciously accepted the book, thanked him for it, and never brought the subject up with her Master again.

Her book even had sections explaining how young boys developed into men. It made her blush to think about Terra going through such things, and it was one of the reasons why she never asked him about it. She never once asked him if Eraqus started any "conversations," either - she just didn't think Terra would be receptive to such an inquiry.

Terra used to be a lively boy. Always with energy, always shifting between moods where he was easily distracted and couldn't choose between any of the activities they shared together, and moods where he was so focused on his homework that he didn't dare speak to her. Except when he wanted to. And anytime he did, the enthusiasm that followed was undeniable. He used to wear a large beaming smile so easily.

He still smiled just as often, but he had become timid (they were still sincere and well-felt, that would never change). He was more laid back, more patient with things. His enthusiasm carried itself with a softer voice. She could still rely on him to always be ready for an adventure or some sparring. But it was just… different. As she followed Terra through the woods, she told herself she would just have to adjust.

He stopped by some berry bushes and rested his hands on his waist. "I bet this world is three times the size of ours," he said before clicking his tongue. "I wish we didn't have to stay close to the village."

The clearing they stopped by opened up to a larger, grassy plain that stretched far beyond what she could see. There was plenty of space here for them to practice.

"Why not this spot?" she asked for the tenth time that day. The sun graced her face. She removed her hood and freed her long, wavy ponytail.

"Hey, do you think these wildberries are edible?" He bent over to inspect them, an evil grin spreading across his face. "If I win our next match, you have to eat one."

Aqua scoffed with a slight breath. Maybe she was just freaking out; he will always be the same old Terra.

"Or, _you'll_ be eating one," she said, conscious that she said it with tease.

He crossed his arms and bit his lip. It was an attempt at hiding a smile, and it failed. "Are you scared you won't win?"

"How about I don't want to be used as a guinea pig and poisoned?"

He laughed. It was gentler than the ones he used to let out in the years before, but there was still a trace of familiarity. "I think you'll live. I promise I won't make you swallow it."

She resorted to smacking him across the arm, which only made him laugh more.

Until his eyes went wide and his smile fell. Until his arms dropped to the side. He wasn't looking at her, but past her shoulders.

Behind her was a dark brown bear cub, rummaging out of the bushes. Small, furry, and absolutely adorable, it eyed the two of them. But that meant-

"Aqua!"

The mother, a grizzly bear more than a head taller than Terra, burst out from where the cub came from. She roared as she charged up to them, swiping a claw.

Aqua jumped backward, right into Terra. He wrapped his arms around her, but tripped. They both fell, and the bear roared louder, attempting to pounce on them. Aqua had one hand on Terra's chest as she leaned forward, as if she was trying to protect him. She screamed and waved her arm, defaulting to the one spell that was easiest for her.

The bear roared and it was simply horrid, like a warped scream. The sound vibrated through the grass and echoed across the woods. Mother bear scuffed and huffed, and disappeared among the trees, her cub closely following.

It was now silent, but the both of them were breathing hard. The thought of what she did immobilized her, and she trembled as she slowly brought her hand to her lips.

"Are you okay?" she heard Terra ask her.

She had used Blizzard against an animal. And the Master will be furious. "Terra, I attacked the bear."

"Y-you didn't have a choice."

She didn't look at him. That wasn't a good enough answer, and they both knew it.

"What is the Master going to say?" she said, successfully holding back a choke. Under no circumstances was she going to cry, even though she really wanted to.

Terra held her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. "You didn't mean to." He looked right into her eyes as he said this. His words usually helped in any normal circumstance... When she stared back, giving him no indication that she was comforted, he simply continued, "I'll take care of it."

Aqua blinked for a few moments. "What?"

From the woods came Eraqus, dressed in his own coat of pelt and fur, and Denahi, a village storyteller and wise man, carrying a spear in his hands, ready to strike. Denahi's hair had streaks of gray, and he twisted several long strands of it into a knot.

All of the villagers assumed the three of them were from beyond the mountain, where the aurora lights touched the ground – except for Denahi, who knew the truth. He had been so generous to them, so happy over their visit, so genuinely interested in getting to know the two star pupils that Eraqus gushed about. The embarrassment the Master would feel once Denahi heard about what she did…

"We heard a horrendous shriek," Eraqus said. "Are you two alright?"

Aqua took a moment to compose herself. She told herself that she was ready for the punishment. That it would all pass. That time would make them all eventually forget this awful moment ever happened. That maybe Terra would crack a joke about it in the future.

Terra said, "A mother bear attacked, sir."

Eraqus kept his face stern, but Denahi softened. "No one can deny how protective a bear will be of her children," the wise man said. "The spirits have certainly shown you their favor." In this world, the people believed that light was utilized through their deceased ancestors, who would perform miracles.

The Master crossed his arms. "A blessing indeed. What exactly happened?"

Aqua slowly opened her mouth to say something, but-

"I cast Blizzard on the bear," Terra said.

The whimper that escaped her nose was uncontrollable, but she kept it quiet enough that no one heard it. She didn't know what was worse – harming a wild animal or lying to the Master. She couldn't say anything. She couldn't do anything - step on Terra's foot or elbow him in the ribs - without giving his fib away.

Oh, but it was worse, seeing how Eraqus' brows furrowed more and more, and how hard his lips pursed before he opened his mouth. The one thing Terra slaved over was the Master's approval. For the Master to be pleased with him. His congratulations. Terra believed any setback was proof he was failing.

It was knowing that Terra was sacrificing this for her that was making her nauseous.

"You mean to tell me," the Master started, sternly, "that two very talented Keyblade wielders, who have all of these powers and useful spells at their disposal, were unable to deflect any attack, and that you _aimed to attack the bear instead_?" The Master yelled so loud that she heard some squirrels and birds scatter about.

She felt Terra tense up beside her. "Yes, sir," Terra said, and she was surprised with how smooth it sounded.

Eraqus nearly growled, not putting any effort in lowering his volume. "I can't believe what I am hearing. You know how unforgivable it is to abuse your gifts on innocent beings, let alone a _wild animal_." He took a moment to breathe, seemingly in an effort to calm himself. But it seemingly failed. "You are to head back to the castle immediately. You will write _fifty pages_ on the importance of life, how light and darkness make up all of its components, and how a Keyblade can be used to destroy, with _specific_ awareness of its lack of ability to create. All chores to be done within the next three months are yours alone."

Aqua clenched her fists as tightly as she could, although she couldn't pierce the thickness of her gloves. Still, the tension kept her focused, when she really wanted to object.

But objecting would make them both suspicious.

Terra bowed to Eraqus, his movement stiff but stable. "Yes, Master."

Eraqus still kept his arms crossed, locking eyes with Terra. "I'm so disappointed in you."

She crept a glance at Terra, who finally looked hurt. What was definitely worse than the punishment itself was hearing this from the Master.

Terra turned away, but not without catching her glance and nodding slightly in return.

As if to say that it was alright. That he had it under control.

Which was the exact problem. He was the only one between the two of them who felt that way. He depended on her to keep this up for his sake. And she was the wrong person to do it.

 _He_ was the one that was better with rolling with the punches. This wasn't the same as when she would use magic to fix anything he broke. To fix his worst injuries so the Master wouldn't find out. And still, _he_ was the one to do the talking. She didn't know how to act out a lie, and was never interested in playing tricks on the Master. Messing up meant that it would make his punishment worse.

She wished she could say this to him. To ask him what to do or say. Then she wished he didn't lie in the first place.

Terra moved out into the woods, farther away from the village, presumably to summon his glider and fly out without anyone seeing him. So as what was expected out of him, he followed the rules.

Although the rules said to never deceive Eraqus.

Denahi talked about how they should track the bear in case she needed her wounds to heal. That bears weren't equipped to recover from such unique injuries. That it may be threatening to her life. It didn't help Aqua to hear any of this. Now she had to deal with the guilt of taking a mother away from its offspring.

The three of them hiked through the woods, following the bear's tracks. Denahi was the expert in searching for signs, such as dips in the dirt, broken twigs, scratched tree barks, shed fur, and swayed bushes.

Eraqus rubbed his forehead and sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do with that boy."

"Master, he was only trying to help me," Aqua said _. Help_ was the wrong word to use. She should have said _protect me_. She was lucky she was walking behind her Master so that he didn't see her face.

"I understand that very well," Eraqus said, but with such ferocity that he almost sounded offended by her remark. "But the impulses that are driving him worry me. He shouldn't even have the instinct to attack first."

The knots in Aqua's stomach twisted. This wasn't fair to Terra at all. She thought about all the things she could do for him. Cook him something special? No, that was pathetic. She already made things he liked so it was not good enough of a thank-you gift. What she had to do, definitely, was to write his essay for him. To do the chores for him. She had to do as much as possible whenever she had a chance to do it discreetly.

Denahi waited for them to catch up with him. "Calm yourself, Eraqus. I believe the only driving factor leading Terra to his decisions is love. And if you were to ask my opinion, I think he is on a great path to manhood, so long as he keeps that motivation."

 _Love_ wasn't the word Aqua would have used, but it fit perfectly. Of course Terra did that out of love. The three of them all loved each other. They were a family. Maybe hearing this would make the Master ease up on Terra... A little bit, at least?

"Need I remind you, my friend, that there is such a fine line between love and revenge? Or love and anger?" Eraqus said, at which Denahi laughed out loud.

"All I'm saying is that he reminds me a bit of my brother," the wise man replied. "Impulsive. Reckless. Good intentions. But I see your point. Kenai went through all sorts of trouble."

This was the third time she heard Kenai's name being mentioned, but she and Terra had yet to meet him.

The sun was setting, painting the sky pink, when they finally found the bear. There were open sores grazing her snout, her cheek, and down the side of her neck, surrounded by patches of missing fur. Some already looked infected. Aqua knew that Blizzard may be an ice-based spell, but it was so cold that it burned to the touch. This was excessive, though.

The plan was for Eraqus to bind the bear with his magic. For Aqua to protect the cub. For Denahi to inspect the mother's condition before deciding on the next step.

But one look at them sent the bear into a rage, charging directly for Aqua. Even if Eraqus was taller, and definitely more of a threat, the bear knew who the real damage dealer was. Ignoring all of Eraqus' attempts to catch her attention, the bear lunged at Aqua. She reflected the attack. The bear replied with another shrieking roar, and ran off, cub in tow.

Denahi approached by her side, asking if she was okay. Aqua stabilized her breathing, unable to look at the Master when she felt the weight of his gaze at her. Denahi remarked about how the bear focused specifically on her, and she winced. She couldn't keep doing this.

She breathed through her nose as she found her voice. "I'm sorry, Master."

* * *

The stars sparkled across the dark sky when they reached the castle back in the Land of Departure. Eraqus marched through the main doors, throwing them open, and barked so loudly that his voice echoed off the walls.

"TERRA!"

Faint footsteps approached the room. Terra kept his head up when he finally appeared through the back door that led to the east wing. He must have been in the library.

Terra took his place by Aqua's side, but he kept it professional. Military stance, attentive, and clearly just _tight_. He did a better job than she in keeping his emotions elusive when the moment called for it.

Eraqus' eyes flickered. Something about Terra moving to Aqua's side must have struck a nerve with him. What it could be was something she couldn't calculate, she had never seen her Master fuming this much.

"I'm pleased to see that the two of you understand the importance of camaraderie," the Master said, with a tone that oozed so much sarcasm, Aqua's chest became tight. "But I don't understand what gave either of you the idea that it could be used to conspire against me."

Terra gaped, incredulous. "Master-"

"You lied to me."

The sentence was only four words long.

And yet Aqua found herself as speechless as she was when her parents died. She hoped Terra wasn't mad at her, too.

"A Keyblade wielder," Eraqus continued, "should mind when darkness should seek to overtake their hearts. They should practice judgment with their best intentions. But most importantly, they should look out for the well-being of their partners. They should _hold each other accountable at all costs_ , so not to let themselves go astray."

Aqua looked right in between her Master's eyes, because she didn't feel particularly brave enough to look directly into them, even when he addressed her.

"I'll have you understand, Aqua, that you will take over the fifty-page thesis. And the chores." He then faced his oldest student. "Terra, you will come with me. The two of us will be minding over the bear first thing in the morning. We will be gone for a few weeks."

Eraqus paused for a moment. "I expected better out of the both of you. _Neither_ of you will have any sort of contact until I say so. Starting now. If you want to uphold your fellowship and your bond with such honor, then you will learn to cherish it. Let this teach you to learn the value of having a proper companion to rely on to keep you on the path of light."

His words hung in the air. Terra bowed. "Yes, Master." It was slower than usual, but it was convincing enough. But that was him, being better at hiding his feelings.

Aqua eventually bowed herself and said the same. Numbly.

She and Terra didn't dare to look at each other. She walked briskly through the back door leading to the west wing - the one place she needed to be right now was her bedroom. She felt Terra's presence fade away back to the east, and Eraqus soon followed him. Even though he wasn't around to hear anything, she walked through the hallways leading up to her door, not uttering a word.

Her bedroom was a sizable one, and Aqua let out a huge breath of relief when she arrived. The bed was comfortable, the sheets a dark blue. Lining her walls were hand-made decorations – crochet, tapestries, small quilts and the like: the same types of things her mother made when they all still lived in that farmhouse. On her desk was a framed black and white portrait of her parents. The frame was thick enough to cover most of the scorch marks that bordered the photograph. Her mother with long hair that draped over her lacey dress, smiling warmly, comfortable in front of the camera. Her father, with a mustache so fluffy that she couldn't see his lips, wearing a vest and top hat.

Next to that photo, taped against the wall, was a rough child's drawing that used sketchy circles to shape faces and eyes. It depicted both of her parents, with a young Aqua standing in between them. Her mother was the one who had the blue hair.

Next to that drawing was another childish scrawl, showing Eraqus standing in the middle, with a young Terra and Aqua at both of his sides.

Would that cub lose its only family?

She slumped onto her desk. It was really her that deserved this punishment anyway. But now she couldn't speak to Terra for what seemed like weeks. If only she had spoken before he did.

She heard a rustling noise. Some tarp was being pushed through the crack under her door. She didn't say anything. Not even a whisper. But it was Terra. And she knew exactly what the tarp had hidden.

The white leather journal they used to share as kids. They always wrapped it in tarp to keep it protected. It had embedded gold designs that graced both covers and the spine, dainty and sophisticated. From first glance, no one would have suspected it was something two children used to dawdle with. It had been a while since they had written anything into it, but it gave her nothing but pleasant memories.

The first few pages were filled with the uneven handwriting of a nine- and eight-year-old. Oaths. Fake essays where they elaborated on theories of who the god of light and the god of darkness were. Drawings that designed those same gods. They used to play pretend over these same characters. Written rules of games they used to make up. Lines that Terra copied from his favorite book about Robin Hood.

She skimmed through the recipes they created together. One was supposed to be a delicious cookie recipe that her mother used to bake, and she wrote it from memory. Terra tried to make it himself, but forgot the eggs. Most of the other recipes were invented by him, and some were outright disgusting (like trout cupcakes).

Then there were photos they glued onto the pages. They had taken the Master's polaroid camera, and took pictures of each other doing the dumbest faces under a pillow fort. One in particular had Terra pulling the edges of his mouth and sticking his tongue out.

The pages afterward had written passages of the wishes they made for when they finally became Keyblade Masters.

Aqua came across the last entry with Terra's writing. Folded in between were three pages of the essay he had already written. In the journal, he wrote.

 _Here's a list of some books that will help you out. I left them stacked on a table in the library:  
How to Conjure a Keyblade  
Light and Darkness: The Nature of Duality  
How Animals Relate to Our World  
The Concept of Death  
Theory of Starlight  
Darkness and Its Effects: How to Count Shadows  
Trapping Light in a Bottle: Basic Theories on How Light Shines in Each of Us  
An Extension of the Heart: What a Keyblade is Meant to Do_

 _I'm sorry I made everything worse._

 _P.S. Leave this journal back at the spot._

The spot. It was where this journal normally was kept. They picked it out together when they were allowed to explore the castle grounds and surrounding areas.

She picked up a quill that laid on her desk, dipped it into ink, and wrote with neat, cursive handwriting:

 _I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have told the Master anything._

Outside her bedroom door, the hallway was dark. Several paces away from her, Terra's door was closed, light glowing under the crack. It was not a good time to knock on it, so she silently walked, out toward the entrance to the castle. Down the terrace steps, across the field. Through some trees until she came across a clearing. Until some of the larger rocks sloped downward on a slant. Following this slant was a very short cliffside, where a small grassy area awaited her. Trees outlined the spring there, where a creek peeked out and slipped into the forest.

This was the spot. This was the one place where Eraqus gave them complete privacy. Where they could talk about whatever they wanted. Their favorite place to spar. Arguments weren't allowed here, but camping was. Often they had fallen asleep under the stars. This spot was theirs, and theirs alone.

Underneath the cliff, a there was an opening, where a chest sat waiting. Inside were old toys that they didn't want cluttered in their room – but that they didn't want to let go of, either.

There was also a small, wooden box tucked in the corner. She had completely forgotten that it was there. When she was eleven, Terra took her on a tour of some of the farther rivers and caves. This box was full of different crystals they found either washed in the dirt, or wedged into mountain rock. There were so many of them, they had spent hours picking out the best ones.

She wrapped the journal back in its tarp, and traded its place with the wooden box of crystals, before heading back to bed.

* * *

All by herself, the castle was very quiet. Birds flew by the windows. Clouds slowly leisured along. When she was bored of reading and writing, she would stare at some of the stained glass, noticing the patterns that she took for granted. Whoever crafted them was a genius.

When she was bored of staring at such innocuous details, she went to work. Sometimes, that was doing a chore – dusting wardrobes with spaces they haven't cleared out in months. She mopped the floors and scrubbed so hard that they shone. Seven floors were a lot, but she had a lot of time. Sometimes, work was practicing her pirouettes and backflips. Music was the best distraction, but she could only listen to it for so many hours at a time. She cooked meals for one. When she needed a perk-up, she sat in her room and worked on her macramé.

The goal was to make a lovely one for Terra, with some interesting knots. It would hang from a sanded log, and cast a gentle drape. But better than a traditional knitted design, she figured she could weave the crystals into her project, so that when she told Terra which wall to hang it up on, the crystals would reflect the sunlight that shone in his room every morning in different colors. She expected him to chuckle when she would command where her gift would go – after all, he normally just eased back and followed whatever she wanted, anyway. At times, she wondered if he preferred it that way.

She wasn't an expert at crafting this sort of thing – her mother was. She remembered the weekend mornings when she woke up to the smell of pie in the oven, and her mother working on macramé in the living room.

It was her mother's philosophy to make a gift by hand. Always. It was the best way to show someone her gratitude and care. Aqua messed up often, and would have to redo many of the knots. Hours would go by and she wasn't able to finish one row. Maybe she was being too ambitious, but whatever. Terra deserved something really nice.

The next day was cloudy, but bright. She sat on the terrace steps outside the castle entrance, feeling the wind gently blow through her hair. It was lonely, but the rustling of the leaves helped to ease the pain.

Until there was a blip in the sky. It looked like a flying teddy bear. _A bear?_

It really did look like a teddy bear. It was round and plump, very much like the kind a kid would sleep with. Instead of a snout, a large, flat, pink nose wiggled like a rabbit's. Small bat wings flapped on its back. And hovering above its head and mouse-ears, was a large, red, fluffy ball.

"Kupo?" it said as it landed next to her. In its small claws was the journal in its tarp.

"Terra sent you?" She was quick to take the notebook, her heart beating as she felt its stiffness in between her hands.

"Kupo!" Its voice was nasal, and high-pitched. It also whistled, but she couldn't understand what it meant.

She hurriedly unwrapped the tarp, almost letting it rip, and sped through the pages until she got to the last entry.

 _This is Mog. He's a Moogle. The Master took me to a different world first where he bought some tonics and tranquilizers. That's where I met Mog. It was really annoying trying to interact with him without the Master knowing. He just won't let his eyes off me. I get that he's mad, but he's treating me like a criminal._

 _Anyway, I figured you were lonely. I paid Mog to keep you company. He really likes carrots. I guess by the time you read this, we'll be back with Denahi, taking care of the bear._

"It's so nice to meet you, Mog," Aqua said.

"Kupo!"

"Is that all you can say?" He was so _damn cute_ , and Aqua felt herself cheeks hurting from the smile. She reached over to pet the fluffy red ball, and Mog's wings flapped furiously as he waved his stubby arms in circles.

"Don't touch my pom-pom, kupo!"

She shuffled away from his frantic plea, and apologized. She continued reading Terra's message:

 _P.S. Mog doesn't like it when you touch his pom-pom._

Fair enough. She invited Mog inside, where she gave him carrots. He ate like a rabbit, where his circular chews gradually sucked in the entire root. Mog followed her around the castle, watching her do chores. He would prance around the library as she wrote her essay. He hopped alongside when she danced. When she worked on her macramé, he bounced on the bed. He especially liked taking hikes with her, waddling around as he sniffed the surrounding bushes. She carried with her a sack of carrots that she periodically gave to him throughout the day.

Talking to him wasn't like talking to herself. Mog never replied with anything but _Kupo!_ But at least it made her feel like someone was listening. She learned to tell the difference between an inquisitive reply and an interested one. He was especially interested in how precious her macramé project was to her, and how perfect she wanted it to be.

Mog would sleep at the edge of her bed. Before it was time to retire for the night, Aqua would either talk to him about the stars outside her window, or about the book she was reading for fun.

For now, she was reading a fantasy romance where the prince fought evil monsters and rescued the princess with true love's first kiss. This wasn't the first one of its kind she had read. In all of them, _true love_ and the meaning of the _kiss_ were never defined. They were concepts that were treated as is.

Terra came to her mind. "I wonder if true love is different between a best friend and a lover," she said out loud.

"Kupo?"

"Well, I think true love is when you are willing to do anything and go any distance for another person. I know that is _definitely_ what Terra and I have. But I wonder about finding true love with someone that I want to be with in a romantic way, like what my parents had. Would I recognize it as such? Is it like a lightning flash, and I just know right away?"

"Kupo…" His voice wavered a bit, as if he didn't know either.

"I often get the impression from books like these that a first kiss is really special if it comes from such a bond. My mom had hers with my dad."

"Kupo!" He sounded like he was in agreement, but she wasn't sure.

"Maybe I'll know it when I finally get to experience it." She placed the book down on her bedside table, and turned off her lamp. She chuckled as she crawled under her bed sheets. "Terra doesn't think it's that easy. But what does he know? He doesn't even think these books can teach anything of value. Let's see if he thinks the same way when he finds someone special."

Mog waddled over to his corner of the bed. "Kupo."

Aqua rested her head on her pillow, looking up at her ceiling. She liked to leave her curtains open, so she could look at the stars as she fell asleep. But something in her chest hurt. The last statement she made, about Terra finding someone else – it didn't feel good.

And she felt like she would be an awful best friend if that were the case. She brushed the thought aside. Looking forward to finding love should be exciting, and Terra would want her to find it, too.

She closed her eyes until she woke the next day, continuing a repetitive schedule of completing chores, writing, and continuing her creative project.

Until the day she ran out of carrots. He ate broccoli, squash, tomatoes – so long as it wasn't meat, he was fine with it. He even enjoyed cupcakes. But over time, Mog got restless. Perhaps he was bored – it was hard to tell, because he never _said_ anything. She wasn't allowed to leave the Land of Departure to get more carrots, either.

So Mog busied himself with destruction. Broken vases, overturned and shredded books, wailing down the hallways. What was worse was when he dragged mud into the castle, or found old, dusty artifacts from the attic that he spread around. He even ate some of the flowers planted in gardens behind the castle. Yelling at him did nothing, so she had to improvise.

The first thing that Aqua did was search Eraqus' office for his polaroid camera. She took photos of the damage, making sure Mog was at the center of them. Then she scavenged the library for the same books that she used to cover up for Terra: books with simple house spells to fix almost anything. Broken vases were fixed with her chants. Torn pages were mended together, with no trace of their demise. She had to pick up after his dirty messes, but at least it was something to do.

There was no book that allowed her to revive dead flowers, or conjure ones in their place, however. She moaned when she realized there was no way to hide this from the Master, and figured Terra will help her with that one later.

That night, she walked into her room and froze when she saw Mog rummaging through her dresser.

Thankfully, he did not touch her project.

She sat on her desk and glued the polaroid shots onto the journal, and wrote:

 _Thanks for sending Mog. He was great until I ran out of carrots. But I can't say I ever got bored with him. How long will it be until you get back?_

She wrapped the journal in its tarp and opened her bedroom window. She asked Mog to deliver it back to Terra.

"I need payment for delivery, kupo," he replied.

" _Now_ you talk?" Aqua couldn't help but laugh. "You're so cynical."

She opened a small drawer on her desk, where she kept an embroidered pouch with her allowance, and paid him. A small part of her was a bit relieved to see him go, but the silence that followed after made her regret the decision.

At least she had more time to focus on her essay. She had been slacking with it because she looked after Mog all this time. That was what she told herself every time she remembered that she was alone again. She would focus on the beautiful details of the castle, the gold overlays that framed the walls in the entire academy. The delicate velvet of all the chairs. The number of writers that wrote all the books in the library. Anything to feel gratitude and get rid of this empty feeling.

Mog came back soon enough, hovering outside the library window. Aqua ran to him, happy to see him again, but ecstatic at seeing the journal. Along with a sack of carrots.

She whipped through the pages. He wrote:

 _I actually think that's hilarious. Glad to see Mog is useful. I went ahead and got some carrots for you. We've kept the bear tranquilized this entire time. I've been feeding the cub, and the villagers were concerned about him being domesticated. It was hard for the Master to heal her wounds, but she recovered just fine. Her fur won't grow back in those calloused areas, but she's okay._

 _I don't know how long it will take. The Master now wants to take me somewhere else, to teach me a lesson, I guess. I wish you were here with us. Denahi knows you didn't mean to harm the bear, so why does it have to be this way?_

 _P.S. I'll get you more carrots anytime._

Alongside the message was a photo of him cradling the cub. It had its paw up against his face, and he was smiling down at it. There was another of the mother bear, asleep, on a makeshift cot as the villagers surrounded her. Eraqus knelt in front of her, his hand on her wounds. Denahi stood behind him.

Aqua breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The mother bear was alright. The cub will survive in an unforgivable world.

She reread his message several times. He wrote " _why does it have to be this way?_ " She felt the same, but something about this exact sentence made her heart skip a beat. She wrote back:

 _I miss you. I wish I was there, too._

Then she stopped. She wasn't even sure what she was trying to say. How desperate and needy was she that his messages made her day? No, writing back to him wasn't enough.

In the kitchen, Aqua prepared butter, salt, just a dash of sugar (small enough to be undetected), and syrup. And a whole mess of peanuts. Nuts were one of Terra's favorite snacks, so she mixed these ingredients together and left them in a hot oven. Then she took almonds, dipped them into a mug of vinegar, and then sprinkled them with salt. Salted almonds and peanut brittle.

She added a message of _I hope you like these! We'll see each other soon_ into the journal before handing it back to Mog, along two bags filled with these treats and a proper munny payment.

"I need more payment for heavier deliveries, kupo," Mog said. Plus two carrots.

She made more progress through her project, learning to weave together the knots around the crystals more efficiently until she was almost done by the time Mog came back.

The journal felt thicker this time, and wedged in between the pages of Terra's latest entry was a necklace. It used rope to keep it together, and the pendant was a carving out of some gorgeous turquoise stone, shaped like a mermaid.

On one of the pages was a photo of a city in a world that looked like it was made of water. At the center sat a large castle, and the houses that surround it were all situated on rivers. The entire area looked like it stood atop a huge lake, where a fort kept it up, allowing its dams to let these beautiful waterfalls fall out into an ocean that stretched beyond the horizon.

By this photo, Terra wrote:

 _You're the best for sending me these! They were delicious. It's so hard hiding Mog from the Master, and there were a couple of times I almost got caught. Of course you miss me. The castle must be so lame without me around. I do really need to spar though, I think we'll both be rusty by the time this is all over._

 _This is Atlantis. The people here are aware of the heart of their world, and depend on it for their technology and protection. I honestly never thought I would ever come across such a place. The city is well hidden, too. The people above the ocean have no clue that the light of their world is being utilized this way. It's interesting to see how well the Atlanteans are willing to take care of themselves and take on such a responsibility. Especially since none of them are Keybearers._

 _I know the Master took me here so that I can witness them and learn about their theories of light, and their history of depending on the heart of their world. I just wish I could be more open with him. I feel like I can't talk to him about what happened without getting a huge lecture that I don't need. But I also can't have him think that I'm rejecting this lesson – what if it affects my path to becoming a Keyblade Master?_

 _Anyway, I asked one of the artisans to craft that necklace. I only described you to him, and he said he made it in your image. I hope you like it._

 _P.S. One of these days, when we're both old enough to go out on our own, we should come to Atlantis. Just you and me._

The necklace was truly beautiful. And special, coming from a such a secret place. It made her beam to look at it, and she reread his message several times again. She imagined him smiling when he noticed the treats as he sat in some fancy room like he was some guest in a palace. She imagined him talking with the artisan, nodding as he described what he apparently thought was a mermaid. (She was a mermaid to him, now?)

She hung the necklace on the bedpost at the head of her bed, but couldn't come up with a message to write back. Not just yet, anyway.

Aqua rationed the carrots more efficiently in order to keep Mog behaving. But she focused most of her attention on the macramé, making sure the loops are all of the same size so it wasn't sloppy. Until it was finally done, late into the night. Her back ached a little when she stood up to inspect its completion. Then she realized she wasn't done with it, because it was longer on one side. Which meant she had to do the entirety of the affected rows again.

It took another day for her to complete it with perfection. With the polaroid camera in her hand, Aqua debated whether she should send Terra a photo of it, or wait to surprise him when he came back.

He would be surprised with it anyway, so she snapped a shot.

On the page next to the glued photo, she wrote:

 _Thank you for the necklace. I absolutely adore it._

 _The Master can be very strict at times, but he's right. I shouldn't have attacked the bear. I can't be a Keyblade Master if I can't stop myself from accidentally harming others. I should have served the punishment to begin with. I'm so happy that we are sending messages to each other. But I worry that we aren't learning the lesson we should be. We are supposed to become Keyblade Masters together. I don't want to ruin that, and I know you don't either. But it's hard. I don't understand what's so wrong about us talking to each other like this, and yet I want to understand what the Master is trying to teach us._

 _Going to Atlantis sounds like a deal. I made you this. My mom used to build these things and decorate our house with them. Recognize those crystals? You need to hang on it on the wall next to your mirror, so the sun will catch them. I really hope you like it, too._

And off Mog went with her payment.

* * *

Aqua was sitting in the library, on a clear day, scratching her quill away on the paper in front of her with three open books, when she heard the sound of footsteps. Eraqus appeared in front of her, quietly taking a seat across.

She sat up straight and folded her fingers on the table. "Welcome home, Master," she said. She almost sounded adult to herself. It was a strange feeling, juggling between feeling happy that she has someone to talk to, and feeling dread at what was coming.

Eraqus nodded and folded his own hands. "How has your time in the castle been?"

"I've kept myself busy."

The Master nodded solemnly. "I understand that you meant no harm to the bear, and I have faith that you realize why it is so dangerous to wield your magic so recklessly."

"I do, Master." She nodded quickly. If he could understand that she knew she did wrong the moment the bear ran off…

He took a long breath, and she got the impression that he was looking through her, toward somewhere else. "You need to understand, Aqua, the importance of supporting your partner. Wielding a Keyblade gives a person so much power and control. It can possess a person to commit horrible acts. You know the importance of keeping darkness from taking control. I want to see you and Terra succeed where I have failed."

"Master?"

Eraqus cast his gaze to somewhere on the table, into a place that didn't exist. "I've lost a dear friend, my own partner, to the madness. I don't believe I've done a decent enough job in taking care of him. I tried to be there when he needed me most, yet it wasn't enough. It's a heartbreaking experience, and I do not think I would be able to cope if your bond with Terra shattered because of lack of guidance."

Aqua had nothing to say. Hearing something like this was surprising.

The Master was incredibly private about his youth. She knew there was one other student that studied alongside him, but Eraqus never spoke of him. She didn't even know what this student looked like, because Eraqus never flaunted any photos from that age.

"Never mind an old man's musings. How far along in your thesis are you?" he asked, breaking her train of thought.

"Sixteen pages."

The Master chuckled. "Well, that's quite enough of a long essay that I will have to read. I wanted to apologize to you, Aqua, for speaking to you in the tone that I did. I think you did enough."

Aqua gripped her fingers tightly so as not to cry, relief overwhelming her like she was forgiven. "Thank you so much, Master. I really appreciate it."

Eraqus placed his hand on hers and gently squeezed it. "Terra is outside by the training grounds. I've asked him to give us some privacy first, so he took it upon himself to train," he said as he stood up. "By the way, I've noticed some of the flower beds looking empty. Were there rabbits?"

She swallowed. "Yes, sir. A colony of them."

The lie was gentle, loving, and smooth.

He smiled to himself. "Nothing like giving back to nature. I suppose it's time for me to plant more seeds."

It was when the Master left that Aqua felt her heart pounding. A smile broadened across her face, and she laughed silently. She ran out of the library, but stopped short.

First, her bedroom.

She grabbed the mermaid necklace and wore it around her neck, checking her mirror to make sure it was in the right place. She eyed the macramé, but it was too big to take outside. Her gaze glanced at the children's drawings, and she opened a dresser drawer full of her softest pajamas. Under a stack of them was yet another child's art piece that she placed here so that the softness of the fabric would keep it protected.

Her and Terra, under a black sky full of yellow stars, her most precious picture.

She ran out of the castle, and there he was, whacking away at the contraptions built for their training with his large Earthshaker.

He heard her approach him first. "The necklace looks great on you," he said, with a smile. A smaller grin than what was usual in the years before, but it was his. His own Terra-like expression of happy.

Aqua threw herself on him, wrapping her arms around his neck. What never changed was his warmth. It never ceased to amaze her how he just couldn't get cold, and she nearly cried as he wrapped his arms around her back. But no. She wouldn't cry. This wasn't an appropriate time to do so.

"What did you think of the piece I built for you?" she asked as she let go.

Terra bent over to pick up the tarp from the ground by him. "I wrote about in the journal, but I ran out of munny to send Mog back. I had to pay him a fee just to leave me alone. But it was great. I… I loved it. I can't believe you did that for me."

"It was no trouble at all. Really. I had a lot of fun messing with it." Aqua took the tarp-wrapped notebook in her other hand, and gestured her head to the side. "You want to spar?"

"You don't have to ask."

Like it was all normal.

The sun cast its light through the trees in such a way that the spot was almost always shaded. The tension in Terra's shoulders relaxed. This was their place where they could unapologetically be themselves.

She waved the child's drawing in his face. "Do you remember when you made me this?"

Terra's brows raised when he saw it. He remembered alright, but his refusal to answer told her he was embarrassed.

She hovered it close to him for just a moment, waiting for him to strike. He shot his hand out, but she evaded, keeping the drawing away from him. "Too slow," she said.

"I can't believe you kept that."

"I think it should go inside the journal. Folded neatly in the back."

"I think it's a good idea." His voice trailed off. "Aqua, there was something I wanted to say first."

"You know you can talk freely here," she said as she unwrapped the journal.

"The Master would have made you sit in the castle all alone writing that stupid essay anyway. Forcing us not to speak was just excessive." He rubbed his arm. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I feel bad that the punishment got worse. I know you wrote to me saying that we needed to learn a lesson, but… I don't feel guilty about sending you these messages at all."

Aqua snorted and hit him across the arm. "You're so bad." He laughed as well and shrugged. She opened the journal and turned the pages until she reached the last written account, but kept herself from reading, thinking back to Eraqus and his sudden but frank openness. "Has the Master ever talked to you about his time as a student?"

"You know he'd never answer any questions about that stuff," Terra said. Then his eyes got wide with excitement. "But listen to this. I overhead him talking to Denahi. They were laughing about when they met many years ago. Apparently, the spirits turned Denahi's brother, Kenai, into a bear in order to teach him a lesson about death, life, and acceptance. Kenai actually chose to stay that way."

"You're kidding."

"That's not the crazy part. The Master was there on a mission with his friend – you know, the one he studied with." Terra laughed for a moment before continuing. "This friend, I didn't catch his name – Denahi thought he was pretty funny - but he had a serious temper. The spirits didn't take too kindly with him, and thought he needed to learn patience."

He continued to laugh, which made Aqua stomp her foot. "So then what happened?"

Terra wiped his eyes. "In order to teach him patience, the spirits turned _the Master_ into a chipmunk that the friend was forced to watch over."

"No way." She giggled, imaging a chipmunk-version of Eraqus sitting atop the shoulder of whoever this mysterious person was. Weirder still was imagining the Master, who was such a serious man, going on such a crazy adventure.

"Makes you wonder what kind of interesting stories he refuses to tell us," Terra said, catching his breath.

She looked down at the leather journal, its pages open to Terra's last entry, which was short. "I wonder if he has a diary of such things. There has to be a photo album somewhere."

"I don't think I want to piss him off more than we already have."

"I'm glad we at least have a record of something," she said, tracing her fingers along his scratchy handwriting, which caught her attention.

 _It's beautiful, Aqua. It must have taken you days to make it. I haven't seen those crystals in forever! I think it makes it look even better. Thank you. I'll hang it up wherever you want to me to put it._

 _I know exactly what you mean. But I think we will be okay. The Master always said that it's important to watch out for each other. That's what I felt I was doing when I lied. I don't ever want to regret doing that. You're usually better at understanding some of his more obscure lessons than I am. I know you'll look out for me too._

 _That's why we'll always be best friends._

 _P.S. I'm broke. Do you mind sending me some of my allowance next time you send Mog? I keep it in the second drawer in my desk._

It was calling her work _beautiful_ , a word she never heard him use. And that he said they would always be close. Aqua felt her heart beat hard, and she had the urge to cry a little. She didn't understand why, exactly, but she kept herself from doing so.

She looked up into his deep blue eyes. There was a gentle smile on his face, and she figured that if Terra wanted to smile this way from now on, she would prefer it over his old one.

And what exactly did wanting that feel like? She didn't have the word to describe it, and it was too much for her to even spend time thinking about it.

She leaned forward to meet his lips with hers, feeling that he puckered with her. It was short and sweet, her first kiss. But she liked it. He was warm, and smelled of the sandalwood he showered with, along with the natural nutty aroma that always graced his skin.

He was close enough to see herself reflected off such a dark blue. To see his long, wispy eyelashes. Terra breathed sporadically, and attempted to contain a smile. He laughed nervously and scattered his eyes around.

"What was that for?" he asked. He grabbed his forearm and tightened his grip around his wrist.

"I… don't know? We're best friends, and I thought you were showing me so much…" She faltered, unsure of what she was trying to say. Affection?

Terra stared hard at her with wide eyes and a smile frozen in surprise, letting out his breaths in anxious bursts. Rubbing his arm and turning away from her, he said, "You're such a dork, Aqua."

"Why?" She began to follow him.

"No, don't follow me," he waved his arm around, laughing through his breaths.

"You don't want to spar anymore?"

He was walking up the slope that harbored the cliff side hiding the chest, not removing his grip on his wrist, like he was inching away and didn't want her to notice something. "Nah, not now. Maybe later."

She sighed, exasperated.

Flipping to the pages at the end of the journal, she carefully folded his drawing into the book. She thought about the story her mother told her, of when her father kissed for her the first time at the county fair. And how happy it made the both of them. How hard it was for her mother to keep herself from squealing with excitement.

Aqua decided that she needed to read better books.

At least it was with Terra, who wouldn't judge her for it. And he would still be her best friend, regardless.

Wrapped in its tarp, she gently placed their journal back into the chest, for the next time they needed it.


	6. Volume VI: A Tale of Landslides, Pt 2

**Summary:** _The Mark of Mastery is almost here.  
Terra and Aqua have one last mission to complete  
before they they are evaluated for all the efforts they put into being Keyblade Masters.  
If only they had mastery over their own flourishing emotions._ **  
** _Terra is 19, Aqua is 18._ **  
Rating: T  
A/N: **_This is based off of holyteapotofrussell 's prompt, "It's three in the morning."  
It's been a long, long, LONG time since I updated this fic, and mostly because I just wasn't happy with it.  
From that prompt, I imagined the two of them getting out of a fresh fight,  
and so that prompt won't be fulfilled until the third (and final installment) of this specific story.  
But of course, setting the stage up for a proper fight turned this story into a much bigger story than I had anticipated.  
And no one likes to read their OTP fighting(even though it's perfectly natural and realistic for them to? Like, they're human?).  
I did really need all of this time to fix what was wrong with it, though. It really challenged my ability to convey them, as well. _

* * *

If Terra hoped to get a decent night's sleep, the morning sun reminded him that he hoped for nothing. He spent too many hours replaying last night in his mind, and he lost himself in remembering how soft her lips felt before he finally let his dreams take over. Waking up left him in a near panic.

Soon enough, he'd have to talk to her. She was drunk when she leaned forward and kissed him, after all.

But if it went well, he'd have a chance at another one. Desire at this point would be an understatement, it was almost a need.

Even without enough sleep, he leaped off his bunk and quickly washed up. Some of the other stable men were still in bed, but he couldn't imagine that they slept very soundly, what with all the chatter over the Highland games, the archery competition for Merida's hand in marriage, happening today. But his stomach did somersaults, and he couldn't ingest any breakfast.

Tents and archery posts were fully set up by the time the sun had fully risen. It was a sunny day, but with the territory situated so high on the mountains, it was cool and breezy. Terra was allowed to keep his fur, and he chose to fold it and hang it off his green kilt. Crowds of people, both native and from the other clans, huddled together to watch the suitors line up to take their shots. The royal family members sat on their thrones under the shade of their own canvas, flags with their insignia waving in the wind.

Aqua stood near them, wearing her brown maid's dress again, with white cotton bell sleeves. She massaged her temples from the headache that he had no doubt came from an inevitable hangover. Merida, fidgeting in her throne, leaned over to talk to her, and Aqua quickly flashed a smile and nodded, hiding her annoyance and discomfort. It looked like she was trying to encourage the princess about something. The moment Merida was pleased with her answer, Aqua stopped saving face and went back to grimacing.

He shook his leg in anticipation. He couldn't go near her, for his place was within the gossiping crowd, safely away from the royal family and the suitors. He wondered if he should wave to catch her attention. But if he did, he might attract the gaze of the men around him, looking to sneer at whatever he was doing. It was better that they sort this out in the secret passage within the castle, where they could have some privacy.

The competition began. The suitors took their shots, and it didn't take long before the son of Lord Dingwall was announced as Merida's future husband. Enlarged nose, pale, buck teeth, scrawny. But worst of all, he was lost in his head so much that he barely registered that he won. Not very suitable to be a considerate spouse to someone else.

Except that Merida had something to say about that. She proceeded to compete for her own hand, and it didn't surprise him to see see that Aqua kept calm in spite of this announcement. She watched the princess intently, her hand to her heart as if anticipating something. But Merida strode with confidence, disqualifying every single suitor with her expertise, outperforming them so much that their shots seemed feeble and pathetic. The queen however, challenged her daughter, and this resulted in a public blowout between them.

Chaos ensued afterward. The crowds broke off, each clan segregating from each other. The lords were furious, threatening to harm diplomatic relations with the king for such offense. The queen, furious, dragged Merida away, a concerned Aqua following close behind them. The king, helpless, wandered around with no idea over how to handle anything that was going on, sputtering incoherent words which were his best defense at preventing a war. It was too crazy for anyone to notice was Terra was doing, so he slipped away to wait in the secret passage.

He waited at bottom of the stairs that led into the royal ward, where he whistled three short times for her cue. She didn't whistle back. He paced back and forth. He whistled again.

"Terra!"

She ran down to him, her dress dragging on the steps behind her. Her hair bounced, her eyes were bright like the sky. Her lips were pink. In truth, she didn't look like she slept very well either, what with the heavy bags under her eyes. And yet, she looked prettier. He reached out, holding her elbow and leaning toward her more than what was causal. She didn't necessarily welcome it - in fact, she didn't notice it at all, and gripped his shirt in a pleading way.

"I need to stay and distract the queen," she said, her breath heavy and her forehead wrinkled with worry. "Merida ran away. You've got to find her!"

 _Right, we're on a mission. I should focus._

"Don't worry, I'll get her." Terra nodded as he kept his voice serious.

Aqua's sigh was shaky and she breathed it out, meditating for a moment to keep herself calm. This mission suddenly went south very swiftly, and too close to the Mark of Mastery exam.

"Thanks, Terra." She squeezed his forearm in appreciation before she let go, and ran back up the stairs.

Terra sprinted outside, ducking into the thicket of the forest so that no one would see him summon his glider. He assumed that Merida would take her horse and ride down the main road leading away from the castle, which stretched a distance he did not know, through branches and large trunks of trees so tall that their canopies blocked the sun.

This instinct was right.

Merida, seemingly fallen off her horse, was distressed as she pat her steed. Her fiery curly hair swayed freely, and her dress was ripped. But more important than these details was the fact that her beloved bow wasn't with her. She turned to face him as he approached her, and she placed her foot on the stirrup as though she was trying to run away from him.

"You won't be taking me back there," she said.

"Relax. I'm not here to force you to go anywhere." He held up his arms in surrender.

Her foot slowly found its way back to the ground. "Where is Aqua?" she demanded, her heavy accent adding a vowel to the name.

"She's with your mother." He cleared his throat. The queen was probably not the best subject of conversation to have right now. "You were amazing, by the way. I was very impressed with your skill with the bow and arrow."

Merida hugged herself, flashes of fury and despair passing through her face. "I was only trying to control my future. My mum doesn't understand. I didn't want to be forced to..." She held a gasp.

"If it's worth anything," he said, keeping his voice sweet and understanding, "you have a strong heart, and it knows what is best for you. You should rely on it."

She cocked her head, confused by his disposition. "My dad's right, you know. You're a real softie for a man."

It was aggravating, having to constantly deal with the assumptions over his character, and never living up to their stupid expectations. Especially when he considered that _for a softie_ , he could easily flip her over his shoulder and carry her all the way home.

Pushing his annoyance to the back of his mind, he asked, "what are you going to do now, your Highness?"

"Well stay in the forest, o'course."

"Forever?" He tried to sound teasing. Playful. Less of a threat and more of a friend. It didn't cheer her up. "Why don't you join me, then? It helps me to take walks when I'm upset about something. The mountains are healing that way."

Merida did join him. She led her horse as he walked by her side. They talked about her wishes for the future. She was barely older than Ventus, and she didn't have any defined expectations about her life yet. But she didn't want anything to be done on her behalf. She wished that her mother didn't try to control her every move, every single day, or decide what her future was going to entail. Terra sympathized. She was far too young to get married off to someone. Unfortunately for her, he had no say.

The tone of the conversation changed when she caught sight of something ahead of them. A dancing ball of blue light with the barest of facial features, humming as if beckoning them to come closer. It was, at least, a gentle spirit, playful but gentle. There wasn't a shred of threat that he could sense from it.

"A wisp," Merida said excitedly as she hurried to get closer.

"A what?"

"A will o' the wisp! Faeries. I've seen them before and I've been waiting for them to come back. They lead you to your destiny." For once, Merida actually smiled.

Terra approached the wisp and held out his hand. The light emanating from it was warm, and for a second, it bobbed in place and floated back toward his palm. Like it appreciated the attention. It then hovered away, only to stop as though it was waiting for them to follow. Terra wasn't one to believe that destiny was written out for any one person. It took work and dedication, with each person aiming to actively make something out of their lives. But this mission wasn't about him.

 _Fates changing for her,_ was what the Master had said when he sent them off to this mission.

"We should follow it," Merida said, already paces ahead of him.

Some part of him hesitated still, as if he knew it was going to get complicated. But if her fate should change, then who was he to judge the rules of this world? "We should."

The wisp led to them to a solitary cottage, owned by a witch who was apparently - _strangely_ \- obsessed with bears. The entire house was adorned with probably a hundred wood carvings of them, some comical, some cute, some whimsical. Terra on some level wasn't certain if asking for a witch's advice was the best solution for a political struggle, having read plenty of books about the deception and cost of magic. Some witches had good intentions, but many acted high on their power to abuse. The witch agreed to concoct something for Merida to help with her situation - with enough badgering and bribery.

But Terra held out his hand to stop Merida from accepting a piece of cake that was laced with a brew from the witch.

"We are here to see how fate is going to change for you, not to poison the queen," he said, mostly to Merida.

"Then why would the wisp bring us here?"

Considering he didn't have such a close relationship with the princess, it seemed that it would be difficult to have her trust his advice. He also didn't have much leverage against the wisp, which is such an omniscient being that was basically regarded like a god, however benevolent it seemed.

"I'm not sure, your Highness, but this isn't even a diplomatic solution."

"I suppose then you need _your_ mother to tell you what to do with your life. Tell you which opportunities to take and which to refuse? Wash your bum for you?" She huffed, flabbergasted that he didn't understand the what a gift she was given. "For a man, you've less spine than a squirrel."

It was clear that she didn't respect his opinion, and that was mainly because he did nothing to earn it from her. With his concerns brushed aside, she took the cake, now itching to return to the castle. And desperate enough to ignore his ongoing pleas to reason with her, unsure of what the witch's potion was going to do.

The castle wasn't exactly a comfortable place to be. The king managed the fury of the lords with spectacular failure in an attempt to stall time - even trying his tired and overused story of how he lost his leg during a fight with the most ferocious bear that existed in this world. Mor'du, a monstrous creature that the people here feared, and the king boasted about his survival when confronting him. It was a story that Terra already heard at least five times during the incredibly short time he spent here.

He therefore avoided the throne room altogether. Merida left him behind, eager to find her mother and try the spell (and completely ignoring the commotion, in which the lords demanded her presence so she would pick a suitor). He crept up the secret passage, sneaking into the maid's ward so that he could speak to Aqua. To warn her about the witch and the spell. To talk to her about the night before. He passed by a large bow that hung decoratively on the wall when he got to the top floor. He inspected it, trying to gauge if the princess was tall enough to wield it. He decided she was capable, and took it down so that he could give it to her as a gift of confidence.

But while sneaking around, he heard crashes and a scream.

He entered the queen's room. Aqua was there, using herself as a barrier to protect a hysterical Merida from a bear in front of them, which was destroying some of the tapestries and the furniture around them.

Aqua turned to him when he entered, a confounded expression on her face as she hugged the princess.

"What did you do?" she asked, the sound of disbelief and anger cutting slices into him.

* * *

The witch's cottage was empty. Left behind was a note addressed to Merida, saying how they only had tonight and a day to turn the queen back into a human, or she'd be cursed to wander as a bear for the rest of her life. Her only counsel: to mend what was broken.

Aqua, understandably, was livid. A wreck, really. _The Master will probably not allow us to take the exam after this_ , she had said to Terra. Her tone was condescending. Worried. Angry. Terra knew she was probably feeling a mix of strong emotions, since he felt the same. But he kept his mouth shut. Better for them to stand together than split apart. They still had a day, so there was a chance to remedy this, even if Aqua could not make herself believe it right now.

Or perhaps he was too much in denial over what happened to accept that they were screwed.

The rain beat hard on them, and Terra used logs and twigs to build two small huts for them to take shelter in while Aqua tried to comfort Merida, who was still arguing with the bear, her mother, over the situation. The queen, still expressing human emotions even though she couldn't talk, was also furious. Her rage was directed toward Merida, who outright _refused_ to accept any responsibility over what she did. Terra did his best to ignore them. Aqua must still blame him for everything, and he didn't want to invite any more of her anger.

She had the unenviable job of explaining to the princess and the queen about the magic that they wield, about their powers of protection, about them coming here as guides and warriors. And she was very thorough about it, with everything except mentioning the word "Keyblade." But it disappointed them both to learn that nothing can be done about the queen's condition without following the witch's instructions.

None of their conversations ended with any grace, with the princess and the queen refusing to acknowledge each other as they tried to sleep in their hut.

The rain was cold, and the muddy ground was no comfort either. Terra finished the second shanty, and Aqua quickly sat down next to him to avoid the poor weather, her hands to her head. He wasn't sure if she still had a headache or if she was still processing the disaster that had become their final mission before the most important exam of their lives.

"Aqua," he said to break the silence, "I... Merida wouldn't listen to me."

"And now the queen is a _bear_." As if he didn't know this. Aqua held her gaze to the ground, as though looking at him would set her off in a rage. "And her husband is an obsessed, bear-hating idiot who'll hunt her down."

"Listen, I know it sounds crazy, but we came across these faeries that the people in this world believed were omens that changed fates. Just like the Master said may happen."

"So you thought it was a good idea to listen to a _witch_? This isn't one of your bedtime stories."

"I actually didn't want Merida to take the pie." Terra stopped himself from raising his voice. This wasn't how he wanted things to go, at all. He cleared his throat. "We still have time to fix this. We have one more full day, right? We won't miss the exam if that's what you're worried about." He softened his voice further, appealing to her worries. They could hang their heads in shame for failing the mission, and possibly have the exam cancelled on them, but they wouldn't miss the date.

Aqua sighed sharply and held her hands together. "What if we can't?"

"Thinking that way will do us no good." He smiled. She usually was the one to give him the pep talk, but right now she needed to hear her own words.

She sighed slowly as she closed her eyes. "You're right, I'm sorry." she said, finally softening her voice. "I didn't know what else to do when she was complaining about her situation. I told her that no matter what she decided to do, she was going to have to face consequences, and she had the bravery to survive them. It was something the Master would say, so what went wrong?"

"It went like it was supposed to, and now she has to learn to what it all means for her." It didn't comfort her. "You said the right thing. You do well with counseling others, you know."

These words didn't help her either. Aqua wrapped her arms around herself, feebly adjusting to get comfortable among the rocks around her. He loosened the fur on his hip and handed it to her. A peace offering.

"I'm not cold," he said before she could object.

She reluctantly accepted it, but it wasn't enough to cover her entirely. He could wrap his arms around her and keep her warm, and he ached to have her that close. But first he'd have to say something. And yet, what if she regretted what happened last night? Should he ask? Should he stay quiet?

He somehow convinced himself that having certainty was better than none. It was going to be an uncomfortable night anyway, and knowing he could give her the warmth and comfort she needed was agonizing when he couldn't act on it.

"Aqua, I wanted to talk to you about last night," he started, making sure that his voice wasn't shaky.

"What is there to talk about?" An odd question, considering what happened.

He laughed nervously, although most of it was shock. "You... you don't remember what happened?"

She scoffed. "Just that there was an obnoxious guy who wouldn't leave me alone. Why? What was so important about last night?"

A kiss. It felt like a rock forcing a growth in the pit of his chest, the rain patter louder than his breath. He willed himself to stay calm.

"Nothing," he said, though he didn't know if he sounded convincing and was too weak to check himself. That rock sunk to the center of his stomach. "I just wanted to lighten the mood, that's all."

"Well, if it doesn't help our situation, then right now is not the best time," she said in a low voice. "I'd appreciate it if we could take this seriously." She was tired. Anxious. Desperate for a miracle. "We should catch as much rest as possible."

Moving away from her, Terra tried to get comfortable on his own, his arms crossed as he rubbed his own biceps, though he couldn't stay dry. The two friends were as far away from each other as that small hut allowed them to be, their ankles crossing in front of each other. They were still close, and yet he felt completely alone.

* * *

The morning left Aqua in a better mood, but it was only so much. Sleeping on the muddy ground left them both groggy, sore, and weary of the stress. So while she wasn't in a constant state of agitation anymore, it didn't mean that she handled their situation with grace and resilience.

In other words, Aqua relied on her habit of disagreeing with Terra on most of his suggestions when brainstorming ideas for helping their cursed queen.

He knew it wasn't about her not trusting him. If anything, she needed him to be there with her. It was more about the fact that when Aqua became anxious or nervous, she liked to be in control, and it was easier to let her have it.

Aqua, though, handled Merida much better than he ever could. The princess took care of most of the hunting, while her mother, who had no idea how to be a proper bear, watched with admiration over how well her daughter can take care of herself. And Merida took these chances to brag about her skills, _just so_ her mother can understand that she wasn't like any other princess and shouldn't be expected to be behave as such.

Which meant that she still didn't take responsibility over the whole ordeal. And they still bickered. A lot.

It was amazing how much patience Aqua offered the princess, who was sympathetic enough, but even then she was getting tested. Since she had the princess' respect, it only took one stern word and Merida listened intently.

Terra hoped that if he had to escort any other princess in the future, it would go smoother.

The plan for now was...well they didn't have much of one. Going back to the castle was completely out of the question, since everyone there was afraid of bears and the king would command a hunt. The only idea Aqua liked was to find some ancient runes to see if any of them had clues about witchcraft, a history of bears in this world, or most importantly, information about wisps.

And like fate, wisps appeared down a dirt road they were traversing, as if to respond to her curiosity. She wondered out loud if they were in league with the witch who created such a mess.

But with Merida's insistence, the queen's desperation to return to normal and Terra's decision to agree with Merida, Aqua had no choice but to blindly follow.

The trek was mostly uphill, with several wisps lining up like a trail that led them up slopes. The view of the valleys and the castle in the horizon was beautiful, and for a moment, Terra was able to let his mind wander. Leaving his immediate fate at the hands of the wisps meant that he was free to think about other things. Like Aqua. The Mark of Mastery exam. Wishing things were back to normal. But most importantly of all, seeing this vast scenery was a reminder of how small he really was, despite the amount of power that he wielded. There were so many other worlds out there, too, and his problems didn't size up.

It was a good reminder, and he was so lost in thought that he completely missed out on the conversations the others were having. He snapped back into reality when they finally arrived at their destination.

Old ruins. Ancient, really. The remains of a castle that had been completely blown in half by war and years of erosion from the rain. He didn't really realize just how far they had walked until Merida mentioned that in all her years, she had never seen this place. Scarier still was that her mother nodded in agreement. The wisps were no longer around, so it was all up to their free will now.

What was left of the castle was a basement, which was littered with rubble.

"Well if they brought us here, we might as well investigate," Merida started, climbing down into the depths.

Aqua sighed heavily, not really liking the idea all that much but this was better than nothing. "I'll go. Terra, stay with the queen."

He was left babysitting the queen, who moaned and growled with worry over her daughter exploring such depths. They lowered deep enough that he couldn't hear either of their words when spoken, but if he didn't know any better, he'd say they were chattering over a conspiracy based on what they found down there.

The queen then sniffed profoundly. Little whelps escaped her nozzle, until she roared in fear. He didn't like the sound of it.

"Aqua!"

He saw her blue hair whip around, seeing him from below, and then notice something behind her. Merida screamed. A roar bellowed from the darkness.

A horrifically large black bear with patches of fur missing and broken spears and arrows lodged onto its back, towered over the two women with a snarl so deep it sounded like a curse. This had to be it: the monster bear from the king's stories, Mor'du.

The princess was quick enough to attack him with her new bow, but that was of little use when it didn't even pierce his skin.

Aqua yelped a warning at her, to get back. She summoned her Keyblade, and produced a barrier to reject a swipe from Mor'du. Merida scrambled back up the castle walls, Terra pulling her to safety.

Mor'du circled around Aqua, studying her movements as she flipped around him, aiming to take strikes at her but failing each time as she reflected them with her magic. There was something about the movements - far too intelligent for a typical animal.

He was about to yell Aqua's name again until he saw that she, too, tried to get back up. She threw pot shots aimed at the floor in front of Mor'du, as opposed to firing them directly at him, just to keep him back.

Her hand in Terra's, he pulled her up, holding her by the waist as though he had nearly lost her until their faces were centimeters apart. She breathed out her adrenaline, and whipped her head back when she heard the bear easily following them.

Terra summoned his Keyblade as well. She conjured a barrier to push the bear back into the castle, and ordered the royal family to get away.

"Keep them safe," she said to Terra.

"What about you?"

She shot him a look, and she didn't need words to express what she was thinking. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

"That's not what I meant," he said in reply. "I can fight with you."

"We are _not_ attacking an animal."

"Aqua, I don't think that's a _normal_ bear." He gritted his teeth.

Terra didn't want to be right about that. Mor'du crept from out of the castle ruins and showed off exactly how giant he was when he stood on his hind legs. One of his eyes was scarred shut. The spears sticking out from his back have blackened from so much exposure to the elements. Which was crazy considering that he probably shouldn't be alive now since bears didn't live _that_ long.

It must have been Merida's screaming that forced Aqua to realize that this thing was otherworldly. The queen lunged herself at Mor'du, trying to attack like a bear would - but she was at least half his size.

Aqua cursed to herself, and faced Terra with intent in her eyes. "I need you. Please protect them for me."

He hesitated. "Be safe."

Merida had thought to make a run for it, crying out to her mother to get away. They waited for Terra, as he used his Earthsaker to strike the ground, creating wide trenches as a block to stall anyone from pursuing them. With the princess on her mother's back, the queen waited for him to be finished before bending her front legs as an invitation for to him to ride her as well.

The last thing he saw of the battlefield as she galloped away was Aqua dancing around Mor'du, using her Keyblade to create a cage around him, sealing it with chains that were normally used to contain darkness.

Merida gripped her mother's fur but she bucked wildly from the unsteadiness of riding a bear's shoulder. Terra leaned over her to keep her secure, with a mount of fur gripped in his own fingers. The queen ran and ran, until they escaped the mountain they were on, and left the cold and the rain behind.

In a valley, they were able to finally rest. They all agreed to wait for Aqua, and Merida even claimed that the best idea for now was to head back to her castle - they finally have the answer in returning her mother back to normal. But Aqua didn't come. An hour passed by, and when they only have until the sunrise to fix the queen, these minutes were precious.

This wasn't normal. She should have been here by now. An image of her alone, injured, and bleeding out waiting for help passed through his mind.

Terra announced that he was going to go back. He said that Merida was smart, resourceful, and courageous enough to handle this from here on out. The princess was reluctant at first but was understanding - not that it was necessary, since they finally heard the buzz of a glider approaching them, with Aqua mounting it. She had a scratch on her arm that she wrapped with a torn hem of her skirt, but otherwise she seemed perfectly fine.

"Is everyone alright?" she asked casually when stepping off. She took a glance over at Terra to see if he was fine, then headed straight for the other two to look for injuries.

Ironically enough, he was probably the one most in pain. He had spent all this time worrying about her so much, did she even spare any thinking about him?

He pushed the thought off of his mind. It wasn't that he was unimportant to her - she trusted him. She assumed he could take care of himself and that he had the power to look after the princess and the queen. Of course she cared about him.

"Are you okay?" he heard her ask him. They were already paces ahead of him and she had turned around to look back, where he was simply standing there by himself. When he didn't answer right away, she briskly closed the gap in between them, holding her hand out to gently hold his forearm. "Where are you hurt?"

Inside his chest, where his heart was pounding so hard it could burst. And it could be remedied, if he made her heart jump like this, too. But if he didn't, then maybe there was no cure for it.

"I'm not hurt." He tried to sound casual, but she knew him too much to believe him. "Really, I'm perfectly alright. Just worried."

She nodded. "I get it, but you don't have to be. We have a solid plan now, and we can fix all of this. You okay to move?"

"Yeah," he breathed.

"Good." She smiled. "We'll both be fine."

She meant for the Mark of Mastery. But he knew he wasn't going to be.

* * *

They were able to fix it, all within the nick of time. By the sunrise, the queen was human again, her rift between herself and Merida mended. What it took wasn't a trick or chant, but a compromise - simple enough to say in words, but a terrible mountain to climb when applied to reality. The queen finally admired her daughter for who she was, and Merida owned up to some of the responsibilities that she was burdened with.

Which resulted in the decision not to marry her off to anyone without her own, personal approval.

Not to mention, Mor'du was finally pronounced dead after years of tormenting the people here.

Terra should be feeling accomplished as well, but he couldn't. Seeing the others get what they wanted - including Aqua, who needed to relax after too many days of worrying about this mission - left him in a state of dissatisfaction. He was the only one with an empty bowl. Aqua smiled to him, whispering " _we did it_ " as she wrapped her arm around his, resting her head on his shoulder. He wanted to touch her back, but restrained himself.

They had been awake the entire night, rushing to get the queen back and fighting off the bear that even the king invited them for a celebratory breakfast. But the both of them chose to politely decline the invitation, wishing only for sleep. The irony of the two of them choosing this route meant that Terra had to listen to lewd comments from the others about their bond, even when he went to his bunk alone. But the exhaustion was so demanding that sleep came easy.

It was early afternoon when he finally awoke and bathed himself. He wanted to forget the smell of sheep as soon as possible, so he went ahead to announce to the royal family that he was leaving - without letting her know.

But of course, she would find out, and promptly announced her departure as well. He packed a sack with gifts of appreciation for his service in the castle's secret passage. It was always customary that they bring Ventus a gift from every world they visit, and this time was no exception. He heard her footsteps approaching. They were now both dressed in their uniforms, looking like proper Keyblade wielders.

She was now fresh and awake, her eyes sparkling like usual, and he felt a tiny sense of resentment at seeing how much more beautiful she looked.

"So..." She sat on a crate, opening a jovial conversation with him as if everything was back to normal. It really wasn't. "Mor'du used to be human. He was cursed when he wanted all the power in the world. If only the Master had known about him before."

She stopped a snicker. He knew what she was getting at, considering that he lost count how many lectures he had to endure from the Master about his own pursuit of strength.

"He wouldn't let me forget. Probably tell me that if I didn't watch myself, I'd turn into a dark monster that would haunt all of the worlds, yatta yatta yatta." He forced himself to joke back, and didn't even think that he sounded convincing. "Now he'll write about it in a book and use it to warn all of his future deviant students like me."

Her smile fell. She never liked hearing him talk lowly about himself. "I wanted to apologize, Terra."

"Come again?" A lump formed so high on his throat that he nearly choked on it. He prayed that she wasn't going to admit that she remembered the kiss and regretted it.

"I'm sorry I blamed you for the queen turning into a bear. I knew it wasn't your fault. I'm just... too good with sticking my foot in my mouth, I guess." She gave a small smile.

That was a relief, at least. He nearly retorted with, _that's not all you put on your mouth_ but he bit his tongue.

"You don't have to apologize to me. I've lived with you long enough that I've seen worse. I know how you get." He meant it to sound light-hearted, but didn't have the energy to really convey that.

And since she read him so well, she was sure to hear the tiniest bit of bitterness in his voice. She said nothing. It was likely that she thought he didn't accept her apology.

"Let's just go home," he said, flipping the sack over his shoulder. Without any mission to talk about, he felt bare around her, and needed a distraction.

It was then that Merida and her family bid farewell to the dark-skinned and blue-haired outsiders that graced them with a miracle, and he (finally) got to bask in the vastness of the ocean in between worlds, flying home. He found himself speeding there, unintentionally leaving Aqua lagging behind, even though neither of them were trying to race each other. When she kept up, he went faster.

The Land of Departure was a welcome sight, the splendor of the academy's architecture dangerously hovering above the crevices of the mountains, held together by large chains. Edgy, but comforting. He landed and didn't bother to wait for her to arrive, either. He kept a fast pace as he entered the castle. Most people would find it very lavish - it certainly was in comparison to the medieval style of the place Merida would call home. But seeing it helped him to relax his shoulders and take a deep breath. He passed through the lower halls of the first floor, until he found himself in the closest lounge to the entrance.

Ventus arrived there, too, panting as if he'd been running to greet them. "You're finally back!" His face was a sight for sore eyes.

Terra dropped the sack at a table and pulled out the contents. "A gift for you."

"A skirt?" Ventus looked through the green plaid fabric, and immediately tried it on over his pants. He waved his hips back and forth so it swished around.

"It's called a kilt." He was about to say that it was supposed to be worn with nothing underneath, but when he saw that Ventus brought it high enough to be worn right under the armpits, he decided he'll surprise him about it later.

The soft clack of footsteps meant that Aqua arrived to the room. She giggled. "It looks good on you, Ven."

At this point, Ven shuffled his arms inside so that it hung off his shoulders. "It's nice." He was always appreciative of everything they gave him, even when he didn't understand.

After hugging Ventus, she took her place next to Terra. But he kept himself from looking at her too much. "What should we tell the Master?" she asked.

"Everything," he said in a way to make it sound like it was an obvious answer. He crossed his arms.

"Okay." She rolled her lips inward, sighing. "I just wanted to check in and see what you thought."

"Well... that's what I think."

She nodded, and patted Ventus on the shoulder. "Okay. I'll see you upstairs then."

With that she left.

"Did you guys fight?" Ventus asked, and it was like dropping a porcelain plate in the middle of the quietest dinner party that existed.

"No," Terra said too quickly. "No. It was just a close call."

And to end the conversation before too many questions were asked, he ruffled through Ventus' hair before heading to the second floor of the entrance hall. The stained glass window here was the most impressive, painting part of the floor in brilliant colors. Eraqus waited by the thrones there, and Terra bowed when he stood next to Aqua. They spoke of the mission, both of their successes and of their failures, and how they worked to fix them. The Master found their story amusing, nodding in approval of their work and expressed how proud he was of them both. For all of Aqua's anxiety over it, it proved to be mostly useless considering how well it was received.

But at least they were home, and were able to resume their normal routines. Studying, sparring, spending leisure time alone and together. Though Terra liked some of that better than others. He just couldn't stop thinking about what happened, and found that the best remedy was tossing jokes back and forth with Ventus. If Aqua was involved, he kept more to himself, making sure that he responded minimally to her so that she didn't notice how distressed he was. It was like wearing a mask, where he had to pretend to be a mimic of himself so that she couldn't see what he was really feeling.

It was definitely harder to do when he was alone with her, which he avoided as much as he could. He'd pull out a book to read so that he wouldn't be disturbed. He'd make an excuse to leave the room.

But this evening, in the studio room where they stood barefoot over padded floors, they were sparring. And he didn't have anything to take his eyes off of her. To spar this much when the exam was barely a week away reminded him that he _still_ couldn't catch up to her.

So now he was alone in experiencing that kiss, and he would probably be left behind in the exam, too.

And this made him _angry_. Seeing her dance and twirl around him, her form perfect as usual and her hair flowing around her face, her waist accentuated by her corset, her legs bare which showed off the silkiness of her skin, thrusting her Keyblade forward whenever he left himself open-

Not remembering anything gave her such an advantage.

It wasn't fair that he was the only one suffering.

She swerved and there was an opening. He took it, swinging his Keyblade so hard so that he hoped it would throw his rage off of him.

" _Terra_." It came out as a warning, like a plea to stop. She was slumped on the ground, her legs bent close to her as she leaned on her hands. She gripped on her arm, where he saw a trickle of blood from where he just hit her.

It was normal in this line of work to have accidents. They hit each other all the time when sparring, it was still a fight after all. They grew resilient to pain, but it was protocol to let each other know when too much damage was being done. And he didn't mean to hit her this hard or throw her back this much.

"I'm so sorry." He dismissed his Keyblade and crouched to her, inspecting the blow. He touched the area around the open wound, where it began to bruise red and purple. She winched.

"You're very distracted," she said.

"I know, you're right." He stopped for a moment. "Wait a minute, that means you are, too. You wouldn't have allowed such an easy hit."

"Well, yeah, but..."

He hovered his hand over her arm, casting a Cure, begging that the soft aura of green light would take it all away. He wasn't the best at magic, but he knew basic things and this didn't look too bad.

It stopped bleeding, but nothing faded. It wasn't that terrible a lesion, it should have been gone by now.

"It's a war wound like all the others," she said when she saw his face, shrugging. "I'll wear it with pride."

He didn't bother to hide how resentful he sounded. "What does that say about me then?" That he had the power to harm her, but not take care of her.

He stood up and walked away from her, knowing that she was going to follow him.

"I can heal it on my own, it will go away like nothing happened," she said, as if that was the most of his worries.

"But that's exactly the point." He was getting angrier. "I should be able to at least cast a stupid healing spell."

"The Master isn't testing your proficiency of spells."

"I should still be competent enough to be able to-" He whipped around when he said this, looking into her blue eyes, which were worried.

"This is why I was so distracted," she said. "You've been on edge ever since the mission, and you've been pushing me away. What's wrong?"

He tried to steady his breathing but did a poor job of it. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I... have a lot on my mind."

"I'm sure, the anticipation must be insane when it's so close." That was only partly true, and it was so terrifying to correct her. And damn it, she was stunning when she smiled at him. "Do you want to talk about it? We can go to our spot. You're free to speak your mind there."

 _You kissed me and I really liked it. And I want to do it again._

He didn't have the courage to say it. Here he had his fate in his hands, and he could actually do something to make his life better. Or maybe it would only darken his future, if she were to reject him. He wished he could read her mind so he could cup her face and kiss her without having to say anything. Words right now just didn't make sense, and if they went to the secret spot in the woods they shared together, then he'd be obligated to speak the truth.

"I need time, Aqua."

"Okay." Her gaze fell to the floor. She was disappointed, but if she was frustrated she hid it spectacularly well. The sun had completely set by now, and she held her arm again. "I understand. Good night, Terra. I hope you feel better tomorrow."

He probably wasn't going to feel better tomorrow. How could he, when sleep just wouldn't come?

An hour until midnight.

He rummaged in bed, trying to find a comfortable position, but every muscle was tense. He tried reading, but he found himself going over the same lines again and again without progressing. The moon shining through his window was too bright so he closed his curtains and put his pillows over his face. Maybe if it was dark enough, he'd be lulled to sleep.

Midnight.

His mind was racing. He imagined creeping into her room, right now, and confessing how he felt. She'd be embarrassed but delighted. They would share another kiss, and maybe two more, and she could sleep in his bed tonight. And they'd continue to sneak into each other's rooms in the dead of the night where no one else would have to know. They could practice what to do with their hands and their bodies.

Or she could shut it all down and tell him that they were never to speak about it again.

An hour past midnight. Why did he have to obsess over things?

He sat up and ripped the bed sheets off of him. Maybe a walk would help him calm down.

The quietness of the castle was peaceful and still, and being the only one awake at the time made him feel like he didn't have a life to solve in this moment. And he hoped this feeling would last long.

The stars shone brightly, where the breeze caressed his face. He stared upward as he sat on the stairs leading to the entrance of the castle, noting areas where the sky was darker than the rest. He was so small, his problems so tiny and so nonexistent to the millions of people out there who maybe had it worse. If they could survive their dilemmas, then maybe he could, too.

A squirrel casually strolled on the terrace in front of him, stopping every now and then to gauge its safety in its surroundings. In the dead of night no less, where predators were probably watching it.

This squirrel had more spine than him.

"Some brave warrior I am," he scoffed, running his fingers through his hair.

The squirrel rubbed its face and scurried over, hiding itself behind a bush. Terra was lone again, but he soon realized he really wasn't. He did a double take at the sight ahead of him. There, right before the forest that led to several trails, the training area, and their favorite place to star gaze, glided a soft gold light that fluttered, traveling around like it didn't notice him at all.

He blinked and rubbed his eyes. He had never seen something like this in the Land of Departure, and couldn't fathom what it was. It felt very much like meeting a will o' the wisp for the first time, knowing there were forces outside of his existence who worked their own magic. Was this the same thing?

Unlike a wisp, this entity wasn't friendly, but it wasn't stand-offish either. It was just there, like it was lost.

He approached it, only to find that there were others near it, spreading over the fields that he knew so well, he could practically walk them blind. He pinched himself to make sure he was awake. They were still there.

They started to flutter away, as if they were going to enjoy their time whether he was gaping at them or not. And he could admire them from afar, or follow them and change his fate.

It was probably much healthier for him to stop tormenting himself. So he went after them, wondering if providence was waiting for him wherever they were going to take him.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	7. Volume VII: A Tale of Stars, Pt 2

**Summary:** _His mission was to be her friend, but she didn't want any. Terra and Aqua meet.  
Terra is 9, Aqua is 8.  
 **Rating: T (for horror elements)**  
 **A/N:** _  
**__This chapter was always going to be the angsty one of this collection (kind of, it ends well). This specific story is honestly my favorite in this collection, and I'm so excited to move on with it. I'm very proud of the ending to this tale, and I just want to be able to cover it lmao.__**

* * *

It was hot, and it sucked.

There was still hay sticking to Terra's arms after he brushed them all off, his sweat just as sticky as the humidity that clinched him. The Master was in just as much of a grumpy mood.

Cows always made Terra laugh though, and Abigail's moos were a welcome cheer for a morning that could either go really well or really badly. Terra needed to be on his best behavior, for this was his very first mission - and he barely even started _real_ Keyblade training.

He already had a to-do list to make him successful. The first step (and the most important): to be Aqua's friend.

But this was also the hardest.

Aqua was in the backyard, pumping water into a pail out of an iron press, before dragging it back to the Widow Tweed's quaint farmhouse, with Tod the fox tailing her feet closely. He noticed that she barely gave either of them the courtesy of a glance when they strolled out of Abigail's barn.

An owl stood at a tree watching them, and Terra didn't know which was weirder: that an owl was out at dawn, or that it enjoyed the company of a sparrow and a woodpecker.

Mrs. Tweed handed them their breakfast (plain old sausage with a sprinkle of salt), and Terra only finished half when Aqua appeared again, hair in classic long pigtails as usual, with Tod following her like he was her best friend. She straggled toward the woods in a daze that made her seem more like a zombie than anything, as if this was the most basic routine for the most basic day and she didn't know what else there was to do.

"You should join her," he heard the Master say.

Terra chewed on his meat with spite. "She doesn't like me."

"She does not know you as a person."

"Still hates me."

"Then she'd be the fool," Eraqus said with confidence. "To pass judgment on mere glance would say much about her and nothing of you… You still have your responsibilities, however, so you must try."

Terra stopped a piece from reaching his mouth, his fingers grasped tightly around his fork. "What if she says no?"

"Then you respect her decision."

A more frightening possibility crept into his mind. "What if she says yes?"

"Then you join her." Like it was the easiest thing in the world.

Terra stuffed as much sausage into his mouth until his cheeks almost burst because he hated all the answers and pouted at his Master. It didn't work.

"Continue with that and your cheeks will sag," the Master grinned.

The image of long flabby cheeks terrified him, so brave Terra faced his fears, swallowed all the sausage at once (which hurt), and raced over before she disappeared into the trees. This was still a mission, and he was still being tested.

"Aqua," he panted, and she at least treated him with the decency of acknowledging his presence. "Are you going out to play?"

"Yeah," she said lowly. Honestly, she looked super-exhausted, despite that it was morning.

"Can I join you?"

She turned and left him behind. "Sure."

Now what was Terra supposed to do? Follow, he supposed.

Aqua walked with the grace of someone who memorized where all the uplifted tree roots would snag her, barely putting any thought of where to step her feet while Terra took an extra second or two just to make sure he wouldn't trip. Tod led the way, excitedly rushing onward only to have to come back because they were going too slow for him.

They walked in silence - Terra didn't know what to talk about.

Toys - _does she still have any?_ Pets - _I don't know a thing about them, much less foxes_. School - _well, we obviously don't take the same classes, and I don't study math, so we can't even talk about something we hate._

Her silence sucked just as much as the heat, and why, oh why did Terra have to deal with this?

They reached a pond, where a creek ran the end of its trail into its reservoir, and willow trees overlooking the surface and dragonflies dancing on longrass.

"Do you want to skip rocks?" Terra asked. "It's really fun."

She sat on a log, bringing her knees to her chin and saying nothing in return.

Tod went ahead and buried his nose in the crooks of pebbles that littered the ground, sometimes yipping at something he found, which were mostly uninteresting - frogs, maybe.

"It's really hot," Terra said, and he didn't know if she agreed - she said nothing.

"Maybe we can swim?" he asked, and immediately blushed. Normally he'd strip to his shorts but he probably shouldn't be asking girls to take off their clothes to go swimming with him.

Again, she said nothing, her eyes drifting off into some made-up land. Terra had never seen a child, even at the orphanage, who looked _this_ horrible.

The adults running the orphanage always said that having parents was the best thing that could ever happen, and that each child could have a pair as long as they behaved well. Terra never really wondered if having them (or losing them) would hurt just as much, too.

It was suddenly too quiet. Tod stopped his hustling of innocent forest insects, and slumped his shoulders while he waited.

He and Aqua looked the same: abandoned.

Finally, she spoke. "Copper is late."

"The hounddog?"

"He always comes," she said with a tighter grip around her knees, like she was remembering a punishment.

Copper was late and Tod was sad about it, too. That was what hurt them: missing someone.

Aqua huffed, willing whatever cloudy thoughts that haunted her to go away and stood up with her head held high, marching deeper into the forest. If Terra didn't know any better, he'd say that she was ready to punch somebody.

He and Tod followed, and it turned out that they hiked somewhere uphill, where they eventually reached a rundown farm within several acres of empty land, half-neglected and half-loved.

She gasped - Copper was there, a rope tied around his neck for a leash, where the weight of an empty barrel kept him grounded. Nearby, a much, _much_ bigger gray dog snuggled in his own barrel and snored.

The children sneaked up to the wooden fence that marked the beginning of the forest and the end of this farm's territory. Aqua held Tod closely, quieting his fidgeting and stopping him from racing across to the dogs.

"Mr. Slade is so mean," she whispered with disdain. "He's always trying to keep Copper and Tod apart. Who would do such a thing?"

It was still Terra's opinion that a fox and a hound were strange friends indeed considering their nature.

Maybe he expected Aqua to know better, and yet here she was on the verge of going back to hiding in her mind.

Well, his mission was to be her friend, and he read in books in that friends made each other happy. If she wanted Tod and Copper to play together, as weird as that was, then he was going to do just that.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, Tod squirming more in her arms.

Terra had lifted one leg in between the logs barring up the fence, and ducked under to get to the other side. "I'm getting Copper, what does it look like?"

"Chief will hear you."

If she was talking about the snoring dog, then he didn't know what she was so worried about. Terra was training to be a Keyblade Master, after all, what was a mangey old mutt going to do?

"I can sneak."

"You're going to get in trouble," she barked like a mean teacher.

"No, I won't."

"Yes, you will."

He liked her less when she talked.

"Calm down." He dismissed her with a wave and crept, keeping his body close to the ground as he waddled over, the grass patches taller than him. This farm really needed a lawnmower.

Aqua huddled behind a bush, watching him closely and mumbling small prayers to herself as she kept a firm hand around Tod's snout. She worried too much.

Terra, on the other hand, crawled confidently - he was more afraid of Mr. Slade catching him in the act than of an old, tired dog sniffing him out.

He chose to do this for her, and was going to see it through.

Copper was very smart and perceptive, understanding the consequences of being caught by a large quadruped such as Chief, so he shied away from Terra at first.

Of course, Copper was still a young puppy, and the moment Terra followed through on some unspoken promise of releasing him from his prison, he yipped.

"Shhh," Terra said, ever so gently holding Copper's snout. He held his breath for a few seconds, Chief wiggling and kicking his feet from the sudden noise -

Only to go back to sleep.

Terra was more relieved than he wanted to admit. "Don't you wanna play with your friend?" he whispered, and started to head back to Aqua and Tod with the puppy riding in his arms.

But then Chief finally got a whiff, and finally started barking.

Chief spit, Chief noticed exactly _who_ was in Terra's arms, and when he did, Chief lunged with a loud growl. Terra's heart jumped straight up into his throat at the sight of such carnivores, and he swallowed it back into place.

Luck smiled on him though, since Terra only managed to escape because Chief, too, was leashed.

Aqua immediately bolted back into the thicket, with Terra and a pup in his arms following closely, the bark of an angry, old man inching closer, throwing a gunshot for a warning but even then, that faded into the background, too.

* * *

Tod and Copper reuniting turned Aqua into a different person - though she was still stuffy, ungrateful at worst, as she yapped about how they were teaching these little innocent animals _terrible lessons_ that could get them into _trouble_ later on, and wasn't this considered _dognapping_ , blah blah blah.

(Honestly, it wasn't dognapping if they were going to return Copper, right?)

But - and that was a huge but - Aqua was at least more willing to talk, more brave to look him in the eye when she did (he realized she had very large, bright eyes, making it hard not to stare).

Who knew that all he had to do was steal someone's pet to open her up?

He could have snarked back by saying that she wasn't a perfect princess either since she was now happy that Tod and Copper were together, but he kept his mouth shut.

She did make some good points, after all. If the Master ever found out what he did, he'd fail the mission.

But... if he didn't do this for her, then she would definitely refuse to be his friend, and that meant he failed, too.

Ugh, Mr. Slade shouldn't have been a jerk in the first place because he made Terra's life miserable (and everyone else's included).

As Tod and Copper rolled in the dirt, Terra kicked a rock and said, "No one should know."

She fiddled with her apron, her dress sprawled over the log they sat on. "Okay. I won't tell a soul."

The worst feeling was keeping this from the Master, and Terra never expected this would ever happen in his entire life.

Was it worth it?

He didn't know. He knew he felt content when Copper approached him with a wagging tail, when the pup crawled onto his lap for a short snooze, alongside his best friend Tod, who helped himself to Aqua's lap.

They looked peaceful, like they had been given a second chance at something important to them. Terra felt like he was a hero, which was always what he wanted to be… and the Master _did_ always say to do what was his heart told him was right.

So would he _really_ get into _that_ much trouble if Terra argued that this was the right thing to do?

Maybe.

That uncertainty was too much of a risk, and Terra didn't know how to feel.

It suddenly dawned on him - this was his first secret that he shared with someone else. _Anyone_ else in his entire nine-year-life!

Wait, it wasn't like they actually _promised_ to keep it to themselves - they merely agreed to never speak about it. She gave him a simple nod when she complied, afraid of the consequences that would chase her if it ever got out. It was not a pinky-squeeze, not a handspit, or a blood oath.

He understood perfectly. This was about survival, not friendship.

* * *

By evening, Mr. Slade blamed Tod for the dognapping - he didn't actually see the fox though, and therefore had no basis for his arguments.

The Master's presence was imposing enough to shut it all down. Eraqus was so much taller than Amos Slade that a shotgun to the chest didn't really diminish how intimidating he was, and since everyone thought of him as an investigator, his dismissal of the Case of the Missing Puppy was final.

By morning, it was time for Aqua to go back to school, and Eraqus offered to take her (for protection protocol).

The three of them traversed twisted, muddy backroads to the town square, since the main road would take her right by her destroyed house and it was best to avoid all of that for now. It would have been a pretty stroll, tucked away in the forest trees with the sun shining through the canopies, if it wasn't for the _heat_. Terra couldn't wait to leave this world and never come back.

It didn't help that Aqua wasn't very receptive to Eraqus trying to open conversations with her, and it left Terra feeling like he had to start back at square one all over again. It was a wonder how the Master didn't feel so personally attacked by her silence.

Being such a small world where everyone knew everything, the people in town cast looks on Aqua as they walked by, whispering gossip and identifiers as they pointed to the girl whose parents were brutally murdered in a town where such things never happened.

When they approached the schoolhouse, children gathered in the windows to look down on her as she crept closer to the entrance, and while Terra couldn't hear what they were saying, they were absolutely riled up like she was a spectacle at a zoo. It was rude.

Since Terra couldn't join her because he wasn't a student, Eraqus took him to the public library - a small wooden thing that was pathetic in comparison to the castle's massive archive.

Eraqus left him behind so Terra wouldn't be in danger, since he was going straight to the outskirts of the town to investigate the last sightings of the demon wrecking this town apart, appearing as a man seemingly named Ardyn.

The Master had only one request: "Let us not kidnap any more puppies today, shall we?"

Terra feigned innocence. "Sir?" When that didn't work, he continued, "Yes, sir."

Equipped with only one ceiling fan for reprieve (it barely worked to keep him cool), Terra busied himself to a number of random books; a good Keyblade wielder spent his time studying about the world he was investigating, as it helped him fit in better.

He tried really hard to be quiet - really, he did. He was the only one there aside from the librarian, a young woman wearing a bun and glasses that made her look older. But he did a spectacular job at being noisy even though it wasn't his fault; the wooden floorboards under him just wouldn't stop squeaking with every step he took.

It turned out that Terra didn't have to be so respectful with keeping up the integrity of the library - a young guy marched into the library, his muddy boots stomping like crackling whips onto the wood beneath.

Immediately, he and the librarian hit it off like they were flirting, and Terra wondered why he ever tried so hard being quiet.

Much of the talk was boring - news of someone's married cousin, and whether she had time Saturday night to go look at some horses… Hopefully she realized that this guy chatting her up was the lamest of the lame and she wouldn't agree to it.

She dodged his question entirely by changing the subject, acting like she didn't hear him. This was where it got interesting - she brought up the subject of the murderer, and asked the guy if he heard anything new.

"Yer tellin' me you didn' hear?" he gargled. His teeth were yellow. "They found the preacher's daughter."

The librarian hesitated. "Is she…?"

He shook his head. "All mangled up by the river. Funny thing is the fog's still rollin' when it shouldn'." He wasn't creeped out about the death, but acted like he was important enough to deliver such news. "Word is she was covered in oil when they found her."

The librarian at least had the decency to be upset. "The poor thing. Who found her?"

"That investigator comin' from the city." They were talking about the Master. Terra pretended to read, with one stack of finished books to his left, and a dwindling shorter stack of unread ones to his right, but he inched a little closer to listen more. The man continued, "If he hadn' found her, she'd continue ter sit there and rot."

Images of the Master finding a dead body burned in Terra's mind. Eraqus was strong, always had been - a hero had adopted Terra the day they met. But suddenly it scared him to think about the Master following Ardyn's trail.

"Makes me wonder," the man continued, his finger lifted in the air as if to make a point, "if Jim Bob'll get his fair share."

"Jim Bob, was that the one who beat his horses?"

"Is that what you 'eard?" He pulled on his suspenders. "Ha! I 'eard he poisoned 'em."

"Well, I don't believe any of it. Jim Bob loves his horses, I figured that nastiness was the work of that creeper."

"Did ya hear? Jim Bob claims the creeper doin' all of this lives in his paintings. Crazy loon. And 'pparently the creeper fancies hisself a fedora. Can you believe that?"

The librarian leaned forward, making sure she heard correctly. "You don't say?"

At this, Terra stood up, and the two adults suddenly quieted, as if their conversation was too inappropriate for a kid.

Not like Terra cared, waltzing up to the front desk with a very specific task in mind.

"Ma'am," he began, giving her a smile. "May I ask for a book about fedoras?"

She blushed at the proof that he heard their every word. "W-what are you needing, exactly?"

"I want to know what one looks like." Terra smiled wider, ignoring the way the man cleaned his own teeth with his tongue.

The librarian nodded quickly, like she had just been given orders by someone very important, and rushed off to find a book from a nearby shelf. She did Terra the favor of flipping through it for him, handing it over with pages showing off hats: fedoras, some with large rims, others short, all of them with similar dips at the top.

"You're a very smart boy," he heard her say, making him look up.

"Thank you, ma'am."

She squealed with glee. "And so very polite, too, they don't make kids like you these days no more." She leaned on her hands, looking down on him from her desk. "I've never seen you 'round here before."

Terra cleared his throat. He was instructed to tell very specific stories should anyone ask. "I'm from the city, miss."

She leaned further at the sound of his answer, like he was just as much of a specimen - it reminded him of the way people gawked at Aqua. "You don't happen to be the investigator's son now, are you?"

 _My dad?_

That was right, if anyone asked, he was supposed to agree. Eraqus was so focused on proper obedience that the most proper way to address him was always "Master," and Terra wondered if it meant he was doing something bad if he lied about their relationship.

Was he, really, if he was lying for a mission?

Either way, it made him feel good to say yes.

* * *

When school was over, Terra had instructions to find her.

He'd spent so long being the only kid at the Land of Departure that seeing a mass of children rummaging through the school grounds was like a punch to his heart, reminding him of the orphanage. It made him wonder how the ones he left behind were doing… did they find parents? Did they still hope for some or did they give up? What about Miss Quistis, the lady who ran the orphanage - was she still there? She always smiled.

Terra spotted Aqua, surrounded by other girls and one boy, who asked her incessant questions and ate all of her answers. Aqua was either uncomfortable or shy - he couldn't tell.

This was where Terra was completely useless, making new friends. He was going to be a Keyblade Master, a hero and savior to anyone who needed help, so sure, he'd be brave in the face of danger, or in the game between life and death.

But he remembered the lesson he kept facing again and again at the orphanage: other kids didn't want him around.

So he did what he thought he'd never do again: sit on a bench by himself and watch the others talk and play ball.

He was already so good at staring at rocks that he didn't notice that another child approached him -

Aqua, with her hand extended. He almost thought she wanted him to save her from her nosy friends, but he wasn't going to be fooled that he was necessary in a predicament like this.

"Come play with us," she said.

What was that about being a savior when she was the one to save him?

He was shaking when he took her hand, and didn't know if he was shaking harder as she led him through groups of wandering kids that broke off into their own cliques. Mostly he just stood there when she introduced him to her friends, and needed verbal permission to play skip rope with them.

Terra was smart and got the hang of it, and let himself enjoy some of the games - that is, until the other kids gaped with eyes wide open at someone behind him. The yard surrounding the school dulled into silence - and it wasn't because the kids went home.

Some pudgy kid with a round face, a mean look, a swollen eye, and oily hair approached their group, and with such vigor that everyone else made space _for_ him, like he was king and they were terrified of him, and he knew he terrified them and he took pride in that.

"Looks like the cursed girl is back," he chipped in, and no one had anything to retort.

"Shut up, Pap," Aqua snarked, and the other kids stared in shock.

"Best be on the lookout or else being 'round her will curse your parents, too," he said with cackle, searching for nods of agreement from the other children nearby. He was a giant of a child, definitely a head taller than Terra.

What was most surprising was how literally _no one_ mentioned how cruel that was to say - it nearly made Terra want to punch this Pap in the face… but adults always punished him for getting into fights.

Aqua's lip quivered for a moment before she went cold. "The only reason why no one went after _your_ dad was because his breath stinks. Who'd go near him?"

Pap's face twitched at the sound of giggles from the other kids. "You know," he said with a crunch of his knuckles, "Preacher said your parents must have sinned an awful lot to get what was coming to 'em."

Terra searched for any adults who might be watching. There was no one.

Pap continued his crap. "So yer one to talk. I normally don't hit girls."

"Try me!" Aqua shrieked, pushing him like she didn't care in the world what could happen to her.

That pissed Pap off.

He went ahead, fist in the air for a clean strike.

Despite urging him on, Aqua scrunched her fists into her skirt, like she didn't know what she got herself into.

Terra had no choice.

Grabbing the fist, twisting the arm over, and tripping Pap by the ankle came so fluidly, so naturally, that all the children blinked once just to realize that his huge butt landed on the ground before he even got close to Aqua.

"That was easy," Terra smirked, now standing in between an idiot covered in dirt and Aqua.

It was easy. No one compared to Master Eraqus.

There were some loud gasps and name-calling from the crowd, followed by silence.

"Y-you don't belong here, ain't got no reason to-" Pap's surprised stutters and the drool coming out of his mouth was the first sign of him turning his heel and leaving them alone, yelling something like " _I'mma tell my pa!"_ before he disappeared.

The crowd dissipated slowly, giving Terra and Aqua stares like they were the next most dangerous thing. Like they were freaks, even though Terra had just stood up to the one bully terrorizing them. Why? Not even her friends wanted to be near her, acting like she wasn't even there.

Aqua sniffled behind him, but she just left him alone when he asked if she was okay, taking a place on a bench near the road.

Maybe Terra was used to that by now, but he followed her, paying no mind how she refused to look at him. "Don't think about Pap, he's stupid," he said.

"He is stupid," she croaked, before raising her voice to a yell. "And school is stupid and everything is stupid."

She glared at her lap and Terra didn't know what to say. The other children eventually left the school in droves, some walking together to wherever they've decided to go, while others had their parents pick them up.

"Who usually picks you up?" Terra asked after a while, hating the silence.

Aqua raised her head to meet him in the eye. She didn't cry, but she looked like a pet anxiously waiting at a windowsill for its owner. She looked like Tod.

"My daddy."

Terra didn't have a good reply to that. Eraqus wasn't around - Eraqus _wasn't_ around, and a horrid thought lurked in his stomach. What if they were both now left alone here for good?

It lasted for merely a second. Thankfully.

"I apologize for my late arrival," the Master said, which didn't matter. He still came and Terra found his breath again. "Would any of you like treats? Maybe some flavored ice for this dastardly weather?" He wiped his brow with a handkerchief.

Aqua didn't reply, but reached out to hold his hand with both of hers, and hid her face in his robe. Terra was still processing whatever it was that made him nauseous.

Eraqus smiled but acted like nothing out of the ordinary happened. "I am quite fond of lemon flavor myself."

* * *

The walk back to Mrs. Tweed's farm seemed longer, and the Master filled it with random stories of the games he used to play as a child. Terra had heard some stories about the past before, but Eraqus left out certain key details that would have marked him as a foreigner to this world, and one day Terra would have to do the same.

Aqua didn't say much, just gripped the Master's hand tightly as she followed him, her eyes lazy and missing, like the road she was staring at didn't exist.

It didn't matter that she never spoke back, the Master kept looking over his shoulder to see if she was listening, smiling at her like she gave him acknowledgement of his words.

Then, she stopped on her feet, and the Master complied. By now, the sun was halfway down to setting.

"I told them," she whimpered.

"Told who what?" the Master asked.

"I told my parents about the bad man."

What dropped first was the Master's smile, then he knelt before her. "The bad man?"

"Mm-hmm," she nodded. "We met him at the summer fair. At night. He sat at a table drinking ale and we passed by him. He asked about me, and my parents answered some questions like I went to school and I danced."

"Was that all?"

She shook her head. "I told them he was bad."

Eraqus cocked his head, more attentive than ever. "How did you know this?"

Her face contorted, her brows scrunching into wrinkles and her lips bending at the center. "I just knew he was bad. I pulled on mama and told daddy to stay away, but they said I was rude."

Then the first tears Terra saw on her face fell, and she struggled to breathe. "They didn't believe me," she said.

She wailed, the most horrid sound Terra had ever heard, and it was so loud that it filled his ears and invaded his chest, and he nearly cried from it, too. It hurt to hear it and it hurt to think about why.

Eraqus picked her up, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist, with words that said, _There, there, you are safe and sound, safe, safe, safe_ , as they trudged down the road, leaving Terra to carry her bookbag.

She was limp, all her energy seeping into sobs on the Master's shoulder, and all the noise she made frightened the rabbits and the birds nearby.

* * *

Since they got back, Abigail fussed hard like the air was suffocating her.

"She's doing a little better," the Master observed when he found Terra alone in the barn, brushing the cow, which really helped her calm down.

But now it was Terra willed into silence, Abigail's chewing of hay filling the room.

"Are you alright?"

Terra nodded. "Is it true you found the preacher's daughter?"

Eraqus' nostrils flared and he inhaled. "Word surely spreads far in this world. Yes, Terra, I did."

The Master took his place on a short stool normally setup for milking, but instead of fetching a pail, he rubbed on the hairs of his mustache with his thumb and forefinger.

"This man, if he could still be called one, is very predatory… I saw him today."

Terra nearly dropped the brush. "What?"

"Ardyn, I came into contact with him at the horse farmer's home. It's become a dreary place. Even with the sunshine, the halls of that house stay dark." Eraqus cleared his throat and took the milking pail, though he did nothing with it. "A terrible thing, the darkness. Being near it for too long will compel anyone to commit atrocities they otherwise would not do with a sane mind." He raised a finger at Terra, ready to lecture. "This is why you must never tread on that path, lest you want regrets, Terra."

"Yes, sir."

"Ardyn had found refuge within the oil paintings across the farmer's house, and I've chased him. He would appear and disappear at a whim, taking occupancy in frames he didn't belong… until he stepped out of one."

"And then what happened?" Terra asked quietly. "Did you fight?"

Eraqus nodded, and Terra's stomach dropped. "Unfortunately, he melted into his own shadows, escaping." He took a side glance. "I do not believe this beast is blind like it describes in my records."

"Sir?"

"Terra, do you remember your lessons about the nature of light and darkness?"

Of course he did, he was a good student. He recited, "Light attracts darkness, and darkness will hunt down the light. They are designed to recognize each other."

"Yes. Yes, indeed." Eraqus stared at nothing, gathering thoughts before he put them to words. "Aqua's intuition in recognizing the darkness only asserts my suspicions - I believe he hunted her down for the immensely bright light within her."

"... Why did he go after her parents?"

"Hmmm… the more I ponder over it, the more I see why the records have him labeled as blind. As a hunter, he is barely decent. When I fought him, nothing about his movements and his aversions to my presence gave me the impression that he couldn't see. It was more of… he can _sense_ light when it is near. It alarms him but it deceives him. What I have noticed is his breath, it is so deep when he fights it as though he is drowning."

"So he sniffs the light when it's around?"

"In a way. He approached Aqua's house in daylight, when she was in school, so it would be sensible that her presence would be smeared all over her home, where her parents resided unaware."

"Then why doesn't he find her now?"

Eraqus, pensive and tense this entire time, sighed, like he just remembered that he was talking about human beings. "She is grieving. We all have light and darkness within us, Terra. Grief and rage will cloak our very best selves, and while she is under that state, it hides her from him.

"This is why," Eraqus continued, needing Terra's attention, "it is important that she understands there are others who care about her. To give her inner light a chance to shine again, and remember what it feels like to be happy. A dark mind lends to a dark heart and too much of that will warp her. Do you understand what I am saying, Terra?"

"Yes, sir. I've been trying to make her smile."

"Good. I know I can count on you." Eraqus' smile was brief as if he didn't have the time for it. "As for the preacher's daughter, unfortunately I believe she was mere collateral. A source of light that he found confusing, and he attacked her as such. There is so much darkness to be found in many worlds, Terra, and they wear many faces but this is the most gruesome that I've seen in my lifetime."

So Ardyn could find anyone with enough light, and just… end it all.

"Why?" Terra choked. "Why would anyone do that?"

Eraqus rubbed his student's head. "The reason will differ for each, but it is all senseless and primitive."

The tears were hot and Terra wasn't strong enough to stop them.

Eraqus reached to hold him, alarmed at the sight. "What has gotten into you? Are you frightened?"

Terra sniffed quietly and nodded, using his forearm to wipe his face.

"What if you die?" he squeaked.

"Terra, look at me." He was gentle, but firm. "I will not die."

"Aqua's parents died. And the preacher's daughter."

His Master sighed, rubbing Terra's arms before brushing his hair out of his tear-stained face. "Terra… they had no means of defending themselves, but I am very different. You have no reason to fear. Dry those tears."

He swallowed. "Y-yes, sir."

"If this is too much for you, I can send you home where you'll feel safe."

"No, sir." He stared at his Master's shoes. Under no circumstances did Terra want to go home, abandoning the mission, wondering for days if everyone was okay. And Aqua was so sad, today. "If I leave, then Aqua will be all alone, and I want to be brave."

"You possess an extraordinary amount of courage, capable and necessary for any true Keyblade wielder." Eraqus leaned over to make sure that Terra understood correctly. "The amulet I gave you, Terra, do you still mind it?"

"Y-yes, sir." Terra hurried to pull the knotted, looped cross from under his shirt. "I don't even take it off for a bath."

"Very good. You remember what I told you?"

"If anything-" He swallowed. He didn't want anything to happen. Now he wanted to go home and have Eraqus all to himself. "If anything happened, I need to stay calm and find you."

"And it will protect you. Be mindful of the fickleness of protection spells, Terra. They are powerful but they expire."

"Yes, sir."

The Master wiped Terra's face with his robe, and brushed through his hair with his fingers. Then he took the pail near him, ready to take on Abigail. "You are dismissed, Terra. Take some fresh air outside." He gave a smirk. "Let us hope the next time we speak of such evils, you would be a stronger, braver Keybearer ready to take on the challenge."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Dragging his feet on the ground as he welcomed the cool breeze that hit his face, the vastness of the stars above him made this world seem bigger than it truly was. The forests beyond faded into darkness, the shadows mean under the moonlight.

At least Aqua was there, settled in the grass where Tod curled on her lap, his bright red fur the only spec of color to be seen in a night like this one. She was watching the forest but she was not really on her guard, like she didn't consider that something dangerous could be hiding where she couldn't see.

She wasn't crying anymore but her face was still puffy, and Terra took a spot next to her. She nudged over to give him more space, lending him a half-smile as a greeting. The grass was soft but itchy, too tall and in need of grooming.

"Everyone at school now knows me as the girl with no parents," Aqua said, eyes downcast with her hand sunk in Tod's vibrant red fur, and a tone that said she'd rather be known as literally anything else. She sounded tired, too - sick of being sad.

"I don't have any parents either."

She gaped at him with a pity he didn't comprehend. "Mr. Eraqus…?"

For once, Terra shook his head. "He's my teacher."

"Oh…" And there she was again, sad, and he got the notion that it was for him even though he didn't need it. "What happened to them?"

"They gave me up when I was a baby," he said simply. He lived with this knowledge all his life; it wasn't a big deal. Well… it kind of was. All the children went through a phase at some point that maybe they didn't deserve to have a family. But it really wasn't _that_ big of a deal. It wasn't. "I grew up in an orphanage… but I have Master Eraqus now. Everything's great."

"But you live with your teacher."

"The best teacher ever."

She quieted. "...Do you even go to school?"

Terra didn't know what to say. He was supposed to talk about Eraqus being his father this entire time that he didn't have backup answers. "Sorta. I'm his only apprentice. We live in a special academy up in the mountains."

"Really?" She eyed the West, toward the direction of what these townspeople called mountains in this world. "Where?"

"Uh, very far away."

"Hm. So is it a lie that you're from the city?"

"No!" He said too quickly. "I come from a city - a really big one. _All_ the buildings there are taller than your mountains here."

She gave him a… _snooty_ look. "There's no such thing as a city like that."

"Yes, there is."

"No, there isn't."

"It's true," he pleaded. She was such a hard nut to crack. "Okay fine, there's more to it but... can you keep a secret?"

She lit up. "Yeah."

"You have to promise not to tell anyone, or I'll get in trouble."

"Cross my heart."

If she put her heart on the line, then she was serious. "The Master and I aren't from around here."

"Well," she scoffed, "duh."

"No, I mean…" He waved to the sky above them, stars twinkling like they wanted to be noticed. "We're from very, very far away."

It took her a second to think about what he was saying, then she rolled her eyes. "Are you saying you're aliens? That's ridiculous."

He laughed – it wasn't the response he expected, but it wasn't exactly the wrong interpretation either. "Kind of? We are from a distant star, and we flew from there."

"Pfft."

"I'm not lying."

"Sure, you're an alien."

Why she had to be _such a snob_ at all times, he didn't know. Still, Terra felt like a complete idiot – here was someone finally willing to listen to him, to share a secret with and be his friend, and he blew it. He hated the silence penetrating between them now.

Aqua suddenly threw her hands in the air, as if she had enough exasperation to last her the day. " _Aliens_ are supposed to have green skin, okay? They look like bugs, with antennas, and they're bald-"

Like she was the expert.

She said it in a way as if asking him to prove her wrong, and he swayed right back into smiling. Maybe he didn't blow it after all.

"There's more to the stars than you think," he said smugly.

Aqua crossed her arms and studied him for a bit.

What she said next surprised him - not because she believed him, or because she had her own secret to tell, but because he never really experienced someone who missed him before.

"Does that mean you'll have to leave soon?"

Those brief moments where she was smiling were so short.

"Maybe…" And Terra found himself sad, too. "Yeah. When the Master catches Ardyn, we'll have to go back home."

He didn't know if she was going to cry, but she didn't. She turned her nose up at him.

"You can't leave."

"Why not?"

"Because you're my friend now, and I won't let you."

Terra laughed because he had no other reaction. He didn't want to leave either, but he didn't say that out loud. What he realized instead was why she was so attached to Tod and Copper staying together: friendship meant a lot to her, maybe even as much as him, even though he didn't have any.

"We should find Copper tomorrow," he said. "It's wrong that they're separated."

She lit up. "Tod is lonely without him."

And Terra didn't want Tod to be lonely. "We could think of ways to get him back so we aren't caught."

"Promise?" She leaned near him, scanning his eyes for his oath.

Terra traced over his heart with one finger, and swore his first promise to someone who wasn't Eraqus. "Cross my heart."

* * *

After school the next day, Aqua minded her chores with such focus and speed that she finished earlier than expected and sought out Master Eraqus in the barn.

When she asked, "Mr. Eraqus, can Terra come out to play?" it was proof that yes, Terra did have a new friend. She was ready for the woods, replacing her dress with overalls and an excitable Tod by her feet.

Eraqus of course was pleased to hear that and sent Terra a smug grin before agreeing, which was probably the first time that Terra could remember being let go from his chores early.

Finding Copper was easy, and getting him out wasn't as hard as anticipated. Amos Slade relied too much on his intimidations, apparently, because Copper was there just the same. It took stealing a dog muzzle to contain Chief's barking so no one would be alerted.

Terra felt bad. He promised Chief that they'd all come back, even though Aqua told him that Chief hated Tod and wasn't nice either to anyone either.

Little Copper though was delighted.

And it turned out, babysitting small animals was tiring, and the two of them still went at it with their games while Terra and Aqua took turns lazily guessing the shapes of clouds.

They even talked some more about what he did as Eraqus' apprentice: what kind of classes he took, how far into defense training he had progressed so far, and whether he ever had to tolerate something dumb like math.

His answers were pretty honest except he never once mentioned the word _Keyblade_. It was a Keybearer's most important clause to keep that secret.

Watching dog and fox toss and tumble, practicing their survival skills on each other, gave Aqua a peculiar idea.

"Can you teach me how to fight?"

"That'd be fun. You're gonna show Pap's who's boss?"

"It's something I've always wanted to do, but Mama said it wasn't ladylike. It's too ferocious."

Terra stood up, at the ready. "It's not hard."

She hopped to a stance, her hands already in lifted. "Then show me."

"Well first…" He grabbed her wrists and brought them closer to her face. "You need to always protect yourself, and this will make it easier."

Then he lifted one open palm. "Try hitting me."

She threw her fist, and it smacked enough to sting.

"Ow," he whined.

Aqua's knuckles were already red from one punch, and she winced.

Terra shook his hand to relieve the pressure. "You hit hard, which isn't bad, but you're also hurting yourself." He lifted his other palm to spare the first. He remembered the way Eraqus spoke to him when he taught, going back to his earliest lessons. "Try thinking about your strength coming from your back, and use that to direct the punch."

It took several times, and Terra often switched palms for her to strike (it helped ease his pain). But Aqua took his lessons much faster than he expected, honestly, finally getting the proper amount of force in her punches without expecting her fingers to break.

"We use the same advice in ballet," she said.

"Really?"

"It's to make sure you're in alignment and you're moving properly."

"Oh!" He dropped a hand after she finished another throw straight into the center of it, now leveled off so that it didn't sting him anymore. "The Master and I talk about that stuff all the time. I didn't think it'd be useful in dance."

"Pfft." Suddenly she leaned off her focus on slugging and stood as straight as a rod. "Observe."

With feet turned out and a curve at her elbows, Aqua started to… well, bend her knees repeatedly as she bobbed up and down.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"It's called a _plié_ ," she said as though he should know better. "Try it with me."

Turning out his feet was more uncomfortable than it looked, and he copied her movements, even when she brought one arm out to her side and swept the other across and over her head.

It looked easy to copy and honestly he got bored, but she started laughing -

He realized he never really heard her laugh before. It sounded like small bells, with a sparkle to her eyes. She looked different, alive almost.

"What's so funny?"

She mimicked what he was doing: hunched over, with his arms so curved that it looked like he was about to scratch his side and his head. "You look like a monkey."

"I do not."

He gave up, stomped his foot on the ground and swore to himself that he'd never dance again.

"Aww," she breathed, swallowing the rest of her loose laughs to regain some composure. "I didn't mean it that way. We can try something different."

"How about this," he interrupted, with a finger to command her attention. "We do a little competition and whoever wins gets to decide what game we should play."

Terra already had an idea in mind where he was _sure_ he'd win.

"That sounds fun! What should we do?"

"Whoever does a handstand the longest wins."

Initially, he expected her to be intimidated, but she replied with, "That sounds easy. Let's do it."

It sunk his stomach, but he knew that he was good with this, so he should still be fine.

They bent over, and on his count of three, they lifted their legs into the air and balanced on their hands.

The blood rushed to his head, but he'd done this so many times that he breathed through it.

"Should we count it out?" he heard her say, his gaze somewhere off to the forest where Tod and Copper took a break from their roughhousing.

"What?"

"Count it out, like how many seconds it takes to do this?"

What was harder than breathing was talking in this position. "Nah."

"Okay." She sounded like she had no struggle in the world. "I used to take lots of gymnastics. I really miss it."

He really wished she would stop talking so he could concentrate on staying still.

"Cool," he muttered.

"I had a teacher who thought I would do well in competing," she continued, "but Papa wanted me to stay in school."

"Okay," he huffed.

"I've always wondered-"

He groaned, falling over onto his stomach into the thick grass underneath him, his head light. She glanced behind her, and with a smirk, gracefully went back on her feet and looked over him.

"I win!"

"Obviously."

"And I choose the game of…" She took a finger to her chin, very proud and very dismissive of his utter disappointment. "Hide and seek."

"Seriously?" He was going to refuse because he had pride and hurting it made him fume.

"I won, so we have to play. But Tod and Copper stay with you."

"Why?"

She waved her arm at him, already on her way, like he asked her a silly question. "They'd give my location away, and I'm not gonna let you cheat."

"Fine." He buried his face in arms against a tree and started to count out loud, listening closely to the direction of her steps so he had as many clues as possible; he was going to find her so quickly, she'd know immediately that he was worthy of respect, and she shouldn't ever laugh at him again.

"... Eight, nine, ten. Ready or not, here I come!" he yelled, the branches and bushes that surround him lightly swaying to a song he couldn't hear. The wind was just as gentle, leaving him alone to hear his own breath.

Copper sniffed the air, and Terra had the sinister thought of asking him to track her down - but that would be cheating, and Terra was better than that.

When he started his trek, the animals took notice. Tod's ears perked a little too much, like trying to decipher a sound that was garbled.

Terra went down the trail he believed she took. "Aqua?" he called - this never worked in hide and seek, but maybe it would trick her into giggling.

Tod and Copper followed closely at his ankles, never running ahead, never falling behind - which was weird, wouldn't they immediately react if she was nearby?

"Aqua," he called again, listening in for any ruffling.

It was quiet, like the forest was dead despite its lush green vitality, despite that it was daylight.

At this point, Tod's fluffy tail curled underneath him, and Copper dagged himself too close to the ground, chasing a scent in the dirt that took him in circles.

At this point, Terra spotted an owl - an _owl_ \- up at this hour, watching him like he was prey.

Getting into a staring contest with an owl was useless, and the longer Terra looked at her, the more he realized that she was waiting for something to happen.

The owl hooted, and against such quiet, it was thundered in his ears. Tod and Copper perked up at the warning -

And split from him, sprinting so quickly it was like they had to win a race to be allowed to live.

"Wait a min-"

They were gone, the owl leaving with them.

Aqua probably would yell at him for losing them.

If he'd ever talk to her again, that is.

"Aqua?" he called again, desperate for an answer. Praying that he'd find her fast, tripping over loose tree branches, hearing nothing but the noise of his own footsteps.

"Looking for someone?"

The voice came from behind.

A tall, tall man watched him with a diabolic smile. Wavy hair to his shoulders the same color as wine like it begged to be touched, thickly dressed in messy layers like he was homeless, like he was cold (it was way too hot for that).

Terra's heart beat and it went cold the moment he noticed the large-brimmed fedora.

"I-" Terra swallowed. A Keybearer was supposed to be brave. "I'm not, mister."

"Hmm," the man named Ardyn rubbed his chin. "I was wondering if you could point me in the correct direction," he said, words clearly pronounced and laced with an amusement that'd never die even if threatened. "I seem to have lost my way."

Terra nearly asked to please not hurt him, he didn't do anything wrong. "Town's over that way, mister." He pointed north, away from the Widow Tweed's farm.

Another voice rushed to his side. "Terra, don't!"

It was Aqua, breathless when she grabbed his hand. Her pupils shrunk to the size of flies, and she whispered to his ear, "It's the bad man."

"Aha!" Ardyn exclaimed like greeting an old friend he forgot about. "How long it has been to see you, Aqua." Ardyn slipped off his hat and bowed his head to give her a more respectful greeting.

Aqua shuddered, her grip on Terra's hand cutting off circulation to his fingers.

Terra didn't know what to do. This man looked bigger than his Master, and Terra never defeated his teacher in hand-to-hand combat before.

So he froze.

Worse - the moment Ardyn straightened out, his face was different: glowing yellow eyes, black oil seeping from them and from his scalp and from his mouth. He was already a dead man who spoke.

"It's been a pleasure," he said as he wore his hat again. "Good night, sweet child. Sleep will certainly hurt less."

Terra gripped her hand back.

Aqua hid behind his shoulder.

Ardyn raised a palm, the glow of magenta and black puffs of smoke electrifying at his fingertips.

Terra looked away, shut his eyes, got closer to her.

It hurt. It was sore like a dull hit to his chest and it banged loudly -

But he flew, with Aqua grabbing him by the waist and flying with him, as the blast threw them background and they used the momentum to float away, past the trees, past Tod and Copper who were still running, until they were dropped to the ground, rolling in a mess of fallen leaves.

Terra was alive, and finally he breathed. They were near Mrs. Tweed's house, her chimney sticking up above the trees.

He scurried to his knees and fiddled with his necklace, pulling out the knotted symbol. It disintegrated into dust after carrying them here.

The plan! Stay calm. Find the Master. Immediately he stood on his feet, and slipped on leaves.

The mission! He still had to protect the mission. He turned heel and went back to Aqua.

"What was that?" he heard Aqua mumble. She was still picking herself up, removing leaves from her hair.

"Magic. C'mon." He grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her, running as fast as he could.

"Master!" he cried when they got near the farmhouse, Tod and Copper yipping from their fright.

Abigail fussed and she was loud enough that they heard her from the barn. In the distance, Chief wouldn't stop barking. The wind howled, and the clouds darkened. A gunshot ruptured in the distance.

Eraqus stepped off the front porch, telling the widow to stay indoors. "Step inside," he instructed Terra and Aqua. "And stay inside."

"Master-"

"Now."

Another gunshot, closer this time.

Copper and Tod followed them inside the house, rushing under furniture. Mrs. Tweed locked the door behind them as Eraqus continued his way into the field. Terra climbed the kitchen counter to take a look.

"Stay away from the windows!" she commanded, and Terra jumped off to head upstairs.

"Wait for me," he heard Aqua squeak but he paid no attention to her.

He rushed through the upstairs hallway, into the master bedroom, right to the windows where he threw the curtains open.

Moments ago it was broad daylight but now it threatened to storm.

Eraqus summoned his Keyblade in a crackle of light, Ardyn now creeping close.

The demon hunched over, the oil dripping out of his coat-sleeve. Sparks of purple light surrounding him, and the ghosts of swords and axes and cleavers swirled in the air in a cycle, a record of ages that passed by for how long this thing had been living.

He used them to strike the Master, slicing and dicing and scratching metal with metal.

Deflected, far enough to strike a tree nearby the second-floor window and Terra and Aqua had to duck.

"Your Master is a sorcerer?" she asked.

It wasn't incorrect. "Eh?"

"I read about them in books," she said as they peeked over the windowsill.

"Shh."

Eraqus summoned chains, gold and blinding and huge, to whip Ardyn - it was the coolest thing Terra had ever seen him do.

Ardyn said something indecipherable, and with a yell, Eraqus summoned something larger: a giant warp that swallowed the demon away before reshaping into a giant keyhole in the sky.

One that the Master promptly locked, the sound of the turnkey snapping everything into silence.

The sun fought through the clouds, and the wind calmed slowly.

Eraqus trudged back to the house, holding his arm as he dismissed his Keyblade, and he limped enough for Terra to bolt back downstairs, leaving Aqua to follow him once again.

The house was messier, like it survived a small earthquake with books toppled over and desks in the wrong position.

He found the Master settled on a loveseat while Mrs. Tweed rushed to get him water.

"I was unable to vanquish him," Eraqus said through large breaths. "But he has been barred from ever coming back to this world."

"Miracles do exist!" Mrs. Tweed exclaimed as she handed him a mug. "Bless you, good sir. I never in my life expected such a spectacle when you showed up around here."

"Miracles," the Master repeated. That was going to be the story for the rest of time to these people, of a man who came from nowhere to perform miracles that saved the town, Mrs. Tweed being the only witness to a harsh storm that raged and died in a matter of minutes.

Terra sat closely to his Master, not to take his hand or to hug him, but to listen to him calm down.

In the chaos, Terra didn't realize that it made him scared to watch Eraqus march his way to battle. Knowing now that everything was alright, it took all his strength to look like he wasn't overwhelmed.

Now the people of this world were safe, and Eraqus was the hero. The thing about his Master was that he showed no fear in the heat of battle, when Terra nearly wet his pants earlier. If he was ever going to get better, he had a long way to go.

Mainly, Terra was just happy that he still had family at the end of it all.

"I want to do what you do," he heard a small voice pipe up.

Aqua stared hard at Eraqus, determination on fire in her eyes, awed and fierce and _hopeful_.

The Master wasn't surprised by her admission. "You want to save people?"

"Yes," she said simply.

Mrs. Tweed threw her hand to her chest. "In all my life-"

"I want to banish demons," Aqua continued.

"That sounds perfectly unsafe," Mrs. Tweed said.

Eraqus chuckled. Terra thought that he may have succeeded his first mission because it gave the Master what he wanted - a new, promising student. "It can be a dangerous life, but I assure you that she would be safe with me."

Mrs. Tweed eyed Terra, suspicions mounting in her mind. "The young boy, he is…?"

"Yes, ma'am," Terra said. "I'm his apprentice, and I'm training to do the very same thing."

"Aqua," Mrs. Tweed implored, "you are certain?"

A sad cloud hovered over Aqua's eyes before dissipating in an instant. "Thank you so much for taking care of me, Mrs. Tweed… but I've been called a hippie all my life for my name. I don't belong here. I never did."

Eraqus stood straighter, interlacing his fingers and addressing the widow. "I only take children who have no families nor a place to go, children who I am certain will perform spectacularly."

Aqua leaned forward with a hand to her heart. "Please take me. I'll be a good student. I can do ballet and gymnastics, I'll make perfect grades and-"

"You have a strong heart," Eraqus said to her with a warm smile.

She blinked, not understanding what he really meant but she nodded anyway.

And Terra saw it - or felt it, he wasn't sure. It was like a tug to his own heart, a flash and a tickle before it faded. This was what Eraqus was talking about.

He saw the light within Aqua, a warm, strong embrace, like he was meant to feel safe with her and meant to keep it protected.

It was pretty even though he couldn't really see it.

And Terra wondered if he emanated the same. He thought that one night when he tried to bring it out of himself and he couldn't, and how he went to sleep wondering if he had it at all.

He wondered if his was as strong as hers, and if he was doomed to fail because it wasn't.

* * *

Aqua said she cried more than she expected when she said goodbye to Mrs. Tweed, even though Terra never saw anything.

She was stronger when she said goodbye to Tod, rubbing the fur on his chest a little while longer because she never wanted to forget the way it felt.

"Do you think they'll stay friends forever?" she asked Terra.

If she was talking about Copper… "Of course they will." A fox and a hound were opposites by nature, in a violent cycle that would never end but friendship was supposed to be strong and indestructible, and Tod and Copper were the very best of friends. Nothing would tear them apart.

"Always stay together, okay Tod?" she whispered to the fox, before giving him a quiet farewell.

This was a few days after the battle with Ardyn. By this time, people started visiting the farmhouse to ask Eraqus all sorts of questions: if he was a magician, if he was sent from the heavens, if he was the devil, if all the demonic stuff was nonsense, if the murderer was killed…

Either way, Eraqus respected the laws of the world and they all had to wait until papers were written, agreed upon, and signed for his protection over Aqua as one of his own.

Today was the day to finally take her to the Land of Departure. She didn't have much: one pack of luggage, and one hard, gray folder.

When Terra asked what was inside, she said it was the only picture of her parents that survived the fire.

The three of them hiked into the woods. She started asking the basic need-to-know: what a Keyblade was, the eternal fight between light and darkness, where the Land of Departure was located -

"We're going to fly there, right?" Aqua asked.

Eraqus shot Terra a look, now that she admitted that she knew information she wasn't supposed to know.

"We are indeed." Eraqus stopped the hike, halting the other two behind him, and bent to his knees. "I have one question left for you, Aqua."

By the sound of his voice, Terra knew he was testing her.

"In the deepest part of your heart, why is it that you want to wield the Keyblade?" he asked.

She took a moment, the folder with her parent's photo wrapped in her arms. "I want to make my parents proud. I want to make sure nothing like this ever happens again to someone else."

By the way the Master nodded, she passed. "The Keyblade is a powerful weapon, Aqua. You are still young, and you won't be able to conjure your own for a few years, but you must always know that your strength is bright and strong. It is not to be used for purposes of vengeance."

Aqua nodded. "Revenge feels yucky to me."

With that, the Master was relieved. He patted her head. "Admirable. When we arrive at the castle, you will spend the rest of the day for leisure, but tomorrow we will start your first formal class."

She beamed, and Terra remembered similar excitement at the thought of starting classes with Eraqus, too. He used to be called a nerd for liking school.

"We're going to be students in the same class," she said to Terra, like she was looking forward to it.

Terra didn't know how to respond. Class was class, students were students. Friends were… they acted like they cared. "Uh, yeah."

"I can't wait, Mr. Eraqus," she said. "I'm going to make the best grades."

"W-wha?" Terra stuttered.

"First I must start your bequeathing, Aqua. Come." He gestured to her over by the nearby creek.

"This is going to be fun," she said to Terra before hopping over.

He watched the bequeathing, similar to how he went through it for the first time years ago, when the Master summoned a giant key and spoke a few fancy words. The energy from the magic passed from the weapon through his fingertips, up to his heart to ignite something that Terra later realized was probably always there.

The Keyblade was picky about who it chose and it chose Aqua today.

What it'd be like to wake up to a new person in his home, Terra had no idea what to expect. They would play and swap stories, he'd have a new fighting partner. Maybe he'd be allowed to go into the woods without supervision.

Something about it bugged him, though. Was it possible that he could be kicked out of the academy if he didn't measure up? What if Eraqus liked her better and liquified his adoption?

What would happen once Eraqus found out that her light was brighter than Terra's?

Suddenly, having a friend sounded like more trouble than it's worth.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	8. Volume VIII: A Tale of Three

**Summary: Aqua and Terra meet Ventus. It's all fine until they have to take care of him. After all, they're just teenagers who don't know what they're doing.**  
 **Aqua is 14, Terra is almost 16.  
**

 **Rating: K+**

 **Happy Valentine's Day to endlessember! They requested: "I've always loved the idea of the way finder trio being a family especially with Terra and Aqua as Vens parents... so I was wondering if you could write something along those lines? It can be either AU or not (maybe you have something clever that could fit this into canon idk)." I chose the canon route. I finished this outline in... November 2018, right after you requested this as part of my celebration of 100 followers on Tumblr. Thank you so much for your patience, and for sticking by me for this long, it's amazing that you're still interested in my stories. Bless you for your support, it means so much. 3**

* * *

It shouldn't be this unnerving to watch someone sleep.

The poor boy had been escorted into the academy by an old man - a Master with a funny name, someone Eraqus knew. After they put the boy to bed, they went off into the office to discuss business, and it left the castle quiet with no answers.

"No progress?" Terra asked behind her. She'd been looking so hard for signs of consciousness - a twitch in the eyelid, some mumbling - that she didn't hear him come in.

This was looking more like a coma than anything. He was so still that she wondered if he was even dreaming. The sun beamed through his window, glowing up his already golden hair, but he was not bothered by it. It was more like watching someone in a coffin as opposed to being in bed.

She touched his forehead - ten times, already - to check for a fever, but he had none

Terra grunted. He felt bad about bombarding Ventus with so many questions, but the guilt was unnecessary.

He took a chair from across the room and sat down by her side, and they listened in silence. This boy was so young.

The Master repeated in lectures that holding a Keyblade necessitated great responsibility, and Aqua never worried about that. She was always trustworthy

When she asked the Master what had happened to the boy, he only said, _This boy has torn his heart._

Aqua lived her life believing she'd never come across such horror. Consequences of wielding a Keyblade seemed foreign, like there was no such thing as accidents.

Today, she witnessed different.

"He'll be okay," Terra said when she never responded. He wasn't even that confident, considering how he crossed his arms. "The Master thinks everything will work out."

Right now, optimism just didn't seem appropriate.

Something echoed in the halls, but it wasn't a round of voices. The sound of piano keys drifted into the room, too soft and distant to understand what story its song was trying to tell, and she leaned over to make sure she heard correctly.

Terra gave her a look. She returned it.

They jumped out of their chairs. There was only one piano in the entire academy, tucked in the corner of the ballroom. No one knew how to play it, so it stayed untouched and dusty.

It never occurred to her that the piano would one day be a spectacle.

Glancing back at Ventus to see if anything changed (it didn't), they left to see what the commotion was. They kept their steps light, and Terra led the way upstairs.

They snuck into the upper floors of the ballroom, which overlooked the bottom for a grand view of the western mountains. It was one of the biggest halls in the castle though they've never held an event here. Otherwise, they used it as a training room, the delicate, tile floor scratched up with strikes of Keyblade metal.

Terra and Aqua crouched behind the gold railing so they wouldn't be noticed.

Now they heard the melody in full. Solemn, contemplative, maybe a story about a horse who learned how to fly. She didn't know the song, it was just the picture that came to her mind.

The eccentric bald man who brought Ventus had tuned it. Each of his keystrokes was impeccable, stringing keys together like he was sewing them. If the song was about a horse who flew, strums of the darker notes told a story of how it found itself lost in the underworld.

The old Keyblade Master slouched severely. When she first saw him, Aqua never imagined that he was able to fight anymore, let alone be able to have this kind of dexterity over the piano.

Eraqus stood nearby, and Aqua had never seen an expression on him like that before. He was always very well-groomed, and when he laughed, he did it calmly to maintain power over his breath.

Right now, Master Eraqus looked young and hopeful, listening to the song with his eyes closed, swaying gently enough that no one would have noticed unless they stared at him.

The old man tripped on his fingers, one of them banging on a flat key that made the horse jump. "I have lost some of my touch," he said, his voice raspy.

If that was the case, he must have been amazing when he was younger.

"Nonsense, it brought life back into the castle," Eraqus said. "How I've missed the shows we used to host."

"Seriously," Terra whispered sharply, "how come we never bother to bring people here?"

The old man crossed his hands behind his back like he needed to support it. "It is rare that I tread paths with the piano nowadays. I had forgotten how much I valued time with it.

"I doubt that," Eraqus chuckled. "You have spent far too many hours sitting on that bench to ever forget that you needed it, old friend."=

 _Old friend_. Eraqus used such a phrase to describe a person? Judging from the way Terra's eyes bulged out of his sockets, it was a first for him, too.

"It was a well-deserved reunion," the old Master said, rubbing the keys like he was looking for dust. "Now I must take my leave."

That felt off.

It wasn't that he was impolite - not at all.

What rubbed Aqua strangely to the point that she decided _'eccentric'_ was the right word to describe him was how he suddenly changed gears with an otherwise pleasant conversation.

It was like he decided mid-sentence that he had enough of the mundane.

"Must you go now, Xehanort?"

Xehanort had his mind elsewhere, his eyes firing up like he had something to look forward to.

"I had left an acquaintance with an abrupt exit, and he needs me."

"... I suppose I can't stop you, then." Eraqus crossed his arms, reluctantly following.

"Eraqus, mind your tone. You will lose all your hair worrying, old friend."

 _Old friend._

"Why not consider all that you've lost."

Master Xehanort laughed, and Aqua wasn't sure if he was genuinely amused or if he was offended.

Terra and Aqua scurried out of their own exit to follow, down the stairs where they planned to peek around a corner and eavesdrop some more.

But Terra ran a little too far, skidding on the tile and right into the hallway that left him standing in front of both Masters.

This left them with no choice except to bow and present themselves with proper posture.

"Your two star pupils, Eraqus?" Xehanort approached, and she could smell his age as he crept near. If he stood straight, he would have been as large of a man as their Master.

"My fine achievers, yes."

Those gold eyes didn't give away what he was thinking. He took turns to study them, and at first Aqua expected that maybe he had some advice - words of wisdom that any Keyblade Master would want to give students. Some useful critique, or encouragement. At best, a tiny sparring session where they could learn from someone different.

Xehanort patted one of Terra's shoulders. "This one has much potential."

Aqua never felt so invisible.

Terra stared wide-eyed. In an attempt to make up for his lack of manners, he stammered, "T-thank you, Master." Then he bowed halfway, stuck somewhere between shock and nervousness and a need to please.

"Mind your presence," Xehanort said, smacking Terra's shoulder several times like he was too tired for a hug. "A Keyblade Master stands proudly. They do not wither, even in front of crippled old men."

"Will you come back?" Eraqus kept himself composed, like the fact that his _old friend_ leaving so soon (and abandoning a boy) wasn't a bother.

Aqua wouldn't imagine why. If Terra was away for that long, she'd be really sad.

"Perhaps for dinner?" Xehanort waved his arm with half a pound of enthusiasm and then went on his way, Terra completely forgotten.

It was abrupt. There wasn't anything else fit to describe it.

Eraqus crossed his arms. His mind was nowhere near the castle.

The tension in Terra's shoulders slacked. "Master?"

Eraqus smirked. It was subtle under that enormous mustache, but it was solemn as well.

"My students," he said. "I have always taught you that power is born within the heart. It is what makes our Keyblades vigorous, our will to overcome darkness unbendable. We need our bodies to be strong in order to serve our hearts, and we need our hearts to be strong to serve greater purpose. We therefore rely on our minds to be strong to keep us oriented."

He turned to face them. "And yet, what have I always said was the paradox of strength?"

It was an odd time to quiz them, yet he loved taking them by surprise anyway. They prepared their answers with suitable postures.

"Strength alone is needed to walk the right path," Terra started. They had just studied this last week. "Yet it falters easily to temptation."

"Strength together is the only force that can stand ground against anything," Aqua said. "Yet it can corrupt if not with right intention."

"You need both to find balance where it lacks," Terra finished.

"Very good." Whatever troubled his mind threatened to spread across Eraqus' face, even though they recited his lesson perfectly. "My star pupils, indeed."

Aqua wanted to ask.

She hesitated. He never really discussed his past with either of them, except for the rare slip up. She knew there was one other student who grew up with him. Judging from what she had just seen, she suspected something had happened between them, and it really hurt.

"Was he that other student?" Terra asked, and it relieved her.

"Yes," Eraqus said frankly. "And what you shall remember from today is the essence of forgiveness in maintaining that strength together."

"Sir?"

"Terra… Aqua… It is terribly important that you continue to look out for each other's best interests if you want to realize your dreams as Masters. One of you must be strong if the other makes a mistake. Stand by this philosophy, and life will reward you with an unbreakable bond that would empower your Keyblades and your fight against darkness."

"Yes, sir," they responded.

Master Eraqus sighed. The smile he wore faded away, though he carried himself with such intimidation that those who knew him would never notice the difference.

But Aqua noticed. It left his eyes, first.

"I must admit," Eraqus said quietly, "I am simply human. I have shown weakness in my own despair."

Aqua squirmed in her feet. Her Master was strong. Always.

Terra was speechless.

"Come," the Master said, switching his attitude back to his comfort zone: duty. "Master Xehanort was never a competent caretaker, and that boy needs our attention."

That boy continued to sleep. Day after day, he was given a new glass of water that sat on his bedside table and never emptied.

They took turns watching over him: Eraqus in the morning to diagnose his condition for the day, Aqua to stay the longer hours and watch for signs of improvement, and Terra at night with his books to study, though he never opened them.

What that boy needed was a miracle, and Aqua called it one when he finally opened his bright, blue eyes.

* * *

Ventus wasn't very responsive.

Eraqus took a pen with a thin torchlight that shimmered different colors at its tip. He waved it, testing if Ventus would follow. "Ventus?"

He didn't even respond to his name, blank eyes staring at Eraqus and yet never really noticing there was someone standing right in front of him.

It was like Ventus had lost his soul somewhere, and was searching the room to find it.

"Master?" Aqua asked nervously. She had prayed for a miracle, and she wanted the stars to respond compassionately - not demand a cost for his consciousness.

The Master shushed her, and Terra this whole time must have held his breath, for he refused to move a millimeter.

"Ventus?" he tried again. "Are you hungry?"

Still, no response, except for a blink.

After a minute, Ventus finally registered that there was someone talking to him, and he cocked his head.

"He certainly does not behave like a boy his age. This is most grave," the Master grunted, turning off his tiny flashlight and rolling his neck back to stretch it. "I must seek out a colleague of mine. She refuses to name herself a witch, but she is gifted and will be able to nurse him back to health."

The way the Master said that felt like it had finality, and suddenly the room weighed twice as heavy on Aqua's shoulders.

"A- Are you leaving now?" Terra shook.

"Yes."

"How long will you be gone?"

Eraqus chuckled. He paid no attention to them, preparing a small clutch with some munny. "There is no way to be certain. She is difficult to pin down and she, too, travels worlds. But I trust Ventus is in the right hands."

By now, Eraqus was out the door, a Terra begging with his eyes following him.

"But Master, what can _we_ do to help him?" he asked as though the Master had given Terra a stranger's baby with a soiled diaper, and claimed it was his.

"Keep an eye on his behavior," the Master said simply. "Provide for him what he needs. Nourishment, attention, and care." It sounded like a simple list of instructions and yet there were so many questions. "And whatever you plan on doing for him, if he learns to walk again, do not, under _any_ circumstances, let him leave the castle."

Those were Eraqus' only words of advice for Aqua and Terra. He shut the entrance doors, and all that was left was the grinding in Terra's jaws.

"We'll be fine," Aqua said, and finally, Terra breathed.

"He acts like it's supposed to be easy," Terra grunted, making his way back to the bedroom where Ventus stared at the wall, his legs still well-tucked under the bedsheets like he had no interest in moving around.

Terra scratched the back of his head. "What's his name, again?"

"Ventus."

At the sound of his name, he turned to her. His eyes were blank but curious, maybe even a little confused. She didn't get the impression that it was his name that caught his attention but the simple fact that she spoke.

Terra held a grip in his own hair as he mumbled. The longer he did so, the more his eyes furrowed like whatever he was concentrating on was a really difficult subject to grasp.

"You ok?"

"Vennnnnn…" Terra cleared his throat. "Veni- Vantis." He tisked when he gave up.

"It's not that hard."

"How about we just call you Ven?" he asked, leaning over with his hands on his knees. "Would you like that?"

Ventus didn't smile back, but he awed at Terra's smile like it was new to him.

"It's cute," Aqua said, also smiling at Ven. "I'm Aqua."

"I'm Terra." He pointed to himself.

Ven glanced at each, back and forth, like their grins were overwhelming.

"Are you hungry, Ven?" Terra asked.

"He has to be," Aqua said.

"Then what do we feed him?"

"Food."

"Don't be a smart - Okay, let's go get him food."

That seemed easy enough. They'd cook and clean up together, and in no time, the Master would be back to decide the best course of action.

But when they started to walk away, Ven's eyes trailed them. He wasn't adept in expressing emotion and yet…

"He's so cute," Aqua whispered.

"He looks so sad," Terra said.

"... I don't feel comfortable leaving him all by himself."

"Yeah, let's not."

"Okay here's the plan," Aqua said, her voice louder and ready to take command. "I'll go make his food and you watch him."

Terra scowled. "No way. I'm not owing you a chore debt."

"Excuse me?"

"We're supposed to be splitting all of our chores evenly, remember? It was a blood oath."

"It wasn't a blood oath." She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe he'd forget something so easy to remember. "It was a spit oath."

"Either way, I'm not falling for the idea that watching him is equal to you actually laboring in the kitchen."

He had a point.

"Okay, I'll cook and you clean," she said. "No argument."

"Or…" He gripped her arms before she turned over her shoulder, a smirk wrestling with his lips and a glint shining in his eye. " _I'll_ go to the kitchen and make some soup… I should make him tea, anyway. _You_ clean up after me. Then we're even. Okay?"

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Just make sure to flavor the soup."

Ven managed to overlap his hands together, like he was waiting for someone to tell him what to do.

"Terra can be such a child sometimes," Aqua said when she sat down next to him.

Ven didn't respond. He looked at her eyes, her smile, his own hands, like he was never taught how to speak.

She really hated seeing him like this.

"You really hurt yourself, didn't you?" She wanted to keep up appearances, and give him a friendly environment to feel safe in…

But it was so hard to keep smiling when he behaved this way.

His hair was still plastered and uneven. Without a hairbrush ready, she took to her fingers, bringing smoothness to the crown of his head, parting his hair asymmetrically for style.

"Very dignified," she said when she finished. She rummaged through the bedside table and the dresser for a hand mirror, showing him the result.

He didn't have much of an opinion - not that she expected one. But he was interested in her hand. He weakly reached out, squinting his eyes like he'd never seen fingers before.

He hesitated.

"It's okay," she said, opening her palm out.

He pressed his hand against hers, like they were measuring them. He was so much younger than her but his was more calloused, despite the extensive training she's had. Maybe he spent most of his time outside and playing with his hands. His skin was also dry - cracks of discoloration lived in between his knuckles. He must have come from a very dry and dusty climate.

Ven let go of her, and spaced out like she didn't exist.

It must have been the sound of footsteps approaching and the humid smell of herbal soup that got his attention.

"Lunch time," Terra said. He tried too hard to be perky, waving a tray with pizzazz. On it was a bowl of soup proudly steaming with various aromas, and a child's mug of tea.

He placed the tray on the bed, right over Ven's legs. "There's saint's wort for the heavy heart," Terra explained when he handed Ven the mug. "And basil for mental clarity. But don't worry, I've masked their flavors."

Ven took it slow, testing the temperature on his lips before taking a sip.

His face scrunched up like he had tasted something sour, his eyes as wrinkled as a cabbage. He was too sweet of a boy to shove it back forcefully, and instead offered it back.

But Terra was dejected. "He didn't like it?"

"I'll take it," Aqua said. Even if it wasn't for her, it was senseless to deny Terra's divine teas. He blended peppermint and spearmint for the base flavors, suppressing the basil without removing its presence which gave it just the right kick, and a hint of vanilla to make it sweeter.

Terra eyed his soup - a thick, murky broth with meat and potato chunks, accompanied by floating peppers and other vegetables. "Try this instead," he said, offering the spoon. "It's good for your body." He beat his chest with his fist. "It'll help you grow strong."

Ven trusted. He picked up a spoonful, slurping the contents in.

He sniffled. His nose turned red and he took huge exhales in between his chews, carefully smacking his lips as he churned the meat into his mouth.

"What did you put in it?" Aqua asked. She grabbed the spoon from Ven and took a sip herself.

Her nose burned. Her eyes watered. Her throat angered.

"What do you think of it?" asked Terra.

He took her advice too much to heart. "It's…" _Spicy_. "Decent."

Terra's laugh was breathy, and she nearly smacked him on the shoulder.

Ven reached with both hands for the spoon so he could drink more. No matter how spicy it was for him - there were times where his breaths almost sounded like sobs when his eyes became glassy - he kept swallowing.

"It reminds me," Terra said softly, watching Ven eat, "of when Kain broke his leg."

Aqua gave him her full attention.

Much of Terra's childhood before the Land of Departure was isolated. When he talked about the orphanage, he always did so with a seriousness that told Aqua he really trusted her to keep these memories safe for him.

But this time, he spoke with a calm smile on his face.

"He had a cast," Terra said. "We wrote our signatures on it and… We skipped rocks with it."

"Excuse me?"

"We did," Terra laughed. Ven kept eating, and it pleased Terra more, even though the boy looked like he was suffering. "We would toss pebbles onto his cast to see which ones bounced the furthest."

"That's…" _Barbaric_. Aqua scoffed.

Terra was far away, but he wasn't. There was a child-like excitement to his eyes, hands reaching over to mess with Ven's hair, spiking it up. "Do you like this better, Ven?"

It had been a long time since she made Terra smile this much.

She grew up with a friendly Terra, but with age came reflection, and sometimes he took that too far. When he smiled with her, it was with gravity.

With Ven, it was a beam of light.

Maybe it was just the excitement of someone new. It wasn't Ven's fault - if anything, he looked like he needed a friend, too.

"What do you think happened to him?" Aqua asked.

"Hard to say…" Terra sighed. "Do you think he committed one of the forbidden acts?"

"No…" she drawled. "He's too innocent."

"Maybe he was curious." Terra shrugged with one shoulder. "Maybe he turned his Keyblade against his own heart to see what would happen."

Aqua pursed her lips. She was never interested in doing such things, and the fact that Terra even mentioned it made her worried.

Ven smacked his lips a little more, breaths seeping out of each while he savored the last spicy bits of potato.

"I hope we can help him feel better," she said.

Terra stayed silent. There was no telling if they were capable of accomplishing that.

Their wave of melancholy had an obvious effect on Ven, who stopped chewing and eyed them inquisitively.

"Well," Aqua said, needing to change the subject and do something to take her mind off of this. She stood up. "I'll clean the kitchen now."

"Already did."

She had half a mind to smack him across the back of the head. "Terra, that's cheating."

"Now you owe me a chore debt."

Terra was pleased with himself, Aqua had no choice but to sit back down, and Ven stared at his spoon when he was finished,

* * *

It was an ebb and flow.

They took turns between staying with him and running a never ending list of errands: the painting frames needed dusting; the tiles to be mopped; breakfast, lunch, and dinner to be prepared, cooked, and served (only for the dishes to need washing). If not any of that, then they took to the gardens: the flowers thirsted for water, the strawberries were ripe for picking, and the autumnal sprouts had to be saved from weeds.

Yet no matter how many teas Terra brewed, each with its own custom flavor, Ven didn't like them. Using potions to heal Ven could get dangerous without surveillance, so those were out of the question.

Terra and Aqua sparred and continued their studies at night, when Ven was asleep. If they woke up early enough, they could spend some leisure time together - playing a game of chess, or simply to talk, like they would do if they weren't taking so much time apart.

But when Ven started to walk, their time escaped them like they never had it to begin with.

"Aqua!"

Terra's call bounced down the halls one morning, and Aqua heard it in the kitchen. At first she ran - it was faster than instinct - and yet she had to come back to settle the stove down and remove the batter or else she'd waste it on burnt pancakes.

Ven wasn't in his room. A shocked Terra just stood there with no explanation.

They split up and took laps around the academy: the eastern wing, where the bedrooms were; the back entrance, which led to the gardens; the attic, where the Master kept ancient relics and untamed weapons; the front entrance, which actually worried Aqua because there were many cliffs outside where he could pummel to his doom; and the kitchen, which wasn't safe. Period.

Aqua finally found him just outside the Master's door. He looked like a normal boy, walking around like he wasn't terribly ill.

"Not in there!" she exclaimed.

She held him by the shoulder. "There's lots of souvenirs and artifacts the Master keeps in there. Some of them are sharp."

He didn't understand.

"Come on." She took his hand. "We just want you to be safe."

What a life to keep tabs on him at all times.

Ven would watch Aqua bake her cookies, which took her longer than normal because she had to stop him from touching all sorts of hot appliances.

Ven would watch Terra polish old statues, who had to make sure Ven stayed far enough away not to come near, and yet close enough to keep a firm eye on.

When he was with one of them, the other would fill their time with practicing their forms with their Keyblades, or reading one of their mandatory textbooks.

Alone. Aqua now sparred alone, and she worried she would fall behind because of it.

Aqua and Terra's tradition of studying together at night would also be sacrificed - they'd be so exhausted after the day was over that they'd go immediately to bed.

Ven improved… slowly. He learned to point at orange juice when he wanted it, to hop on one foot, and to dress himself into his pajamas.

And yet after all this time, Ven still wouldn't speak. Aqua sometimes wished the Master would come home soon and give them proper guidance. Maybe they were doing something wrong.

But it all became worth it, soon enough.

Aqua prepared breakfast: waffles with strawberries for herself and Ven, and a plate of sausages with olives and crushed chickpeas for Terra.

They had a routine: Terra placed plates on the table and Aqua filled them with food.

Instead of taking his seat at the table, Ven leaned on it and watched them. "Hi!" he said.

They gasped. She heard correctly.

Both of them huddled over him, and Aqua forgot that food would cool if left unattended.

"Hi, Ven," Aqua said, sniffling. It had been a long time since she cried, probably when she was nine years old. She had never expected it to happen again.

"Hi!" Ven said to Aqua, staring at her tears.

"Hi, Ven," Terra said softly. His breathy laughs began to break, and he swallowed back his weeps. He ruffled through Ven's hair hard enough to ruin his coif.

"Hi!" Ven said to Terra.

"We're so glad you're feeling better," Aqua said, also taking a hand to his head.

"Hi!" He said it louder this time, like he wasn't being heard.

"Is that the only word you know?" she asked.

"Hi!"

She and Terra shared glances. From the way Terra chuckled through his nose, he was relieved.

* * *

If Aqua desperately needed a break, she'd sit in the library with a huge book titled _Recipes for a Stronger Keybearer_ , which wasn't mandatory but she considered it vital for her own development.

The library was perfect for a quiet repose. Even though the book was interesting, a nap was well-deserved and Aqua found it difficult to sneak one in otherwise.

That didn't last, either.

One night, Terra paid a visit with Ven trailing closely behind him.

"Aqua, watch this."

She inhaled sharply when she heard him, shaking her head awake. "What is it?" she mumbled.

Terra crossed his arms and he had a _goofy_ grin on his face.

Her heart fluttered to see it, but she kept her expression firm. That wasn't what she was supposed to be feeling - she was supposed to be happy that Terra was this excited.

But her heart also dropped to see it. She couldn't even recall if they even had a conversation to themselves yesterday, and if they did, what they talked about.

Terra quieted his laughter. "Watch, watch," he whispered.

He took a few steps, pretending he wasn't scheming.

Ven blinked at first, then followed.

Then Terra stopped.

Ven ran into him.

Terra walked again, and Ven followed.

Terra stopped. Ven crashed.

Aqua had to snort at the sight. It was so cute - so _damn_ cute that her chest crushed itself. It was unbecoming of a Keybearer to be so swayed by emotion, but she refused to fight it. "You're so smart, Ven," she cooed, skipping over to hug him around the shoulders.

Even if all Ven could do was stare at her with those big, blue eyes and a blank expression, it made her smile.

"Hi," he said quietly.

Suddenly, she was perked up and awake.

And Terra was here. What perfect timing, they could all do something together in those last twenty minutes before bedtime.

"You know what I've been reading?" she asked Terra. She held the book's cover up for him to read. Anything that would help him get better at wielding his Keyblade was right up his alley, especially if it was good food.

"That looks interesting-"

Ven tugged on Terra's pants by the waist.

"Okay, okay," Terra said, petting Ven on the head. "Sorry, Aqua, I guess he's tired-"

Ven tugged again, and pointed to the window, whimpering.

The library's windows were theaters in their own right. As tall as monuments, they were a gateway to the outside, and it was (almost) as if they were standing right outside.

It was a clear night, and they had a front seat view at the stars.

Without waiting for Terra, Ven hurried and pressed his face against the glass to stare up.

So she wasn't going to have any time with Terra. That was fine. Tending to Ven was more important, anyway.

"Aren't they nice?" Terra asked, who failed miserably at pulling Ven's attention away.

Aqua took Ven's other side, kneeling over so she could speak to him more directly. "Isn't that one the prettiest?" she asked, pointing a finger against a glass plate at the largest star from this side of the mountains.

Ven pressed his palms against the window, as if he wanted to touch it. "Hi," he said. Whether to them or to the star, it was hard to tell.

Whatever joy Terra had with him had ran away from his face. "Sometimes I wonder if we'll never help him heal. He never wants to smile." Stating that truth hurt Aqua in the heart. "I just want to know what he's thinking…"

Aqua pouted. Such interest in the stars had to account for something, some proof that he was slowly getting better and wanted more out of life, right?

She smiled at Ven, who only gave her a passing glance. He was still precious. "All we can do," she said, gently brushing through his hair, "is accept him for who he is."

Terra nodded firmly, willing his frown into a smile. "We'll show you the stars on the other side of the castle, Ven," he said softly. "They're just as cool, you'll like them."

Ven yawned, pressing his forehead against the glass and closing his eyes.

"See," Terra said, chuckling through his nose. "I knew you were tired." He grabbed Ven's hand - the signal that it was time to move. Ven promptly complied and kept close.

"I guess…" Aqua started, making her way back to her book. Would it be a surprise if she didn't get any pleasure out of reading her book, now that she'd be alone? "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yep." Terra took Ven on their way out of the library. "Good night."

The first three sentences on the open page blurred together and Aqua couldn't recall what any of them said. She could actually just spend those last minutes of the night with them, instead.

Well, she shouldn't really interrupt bedtime, and Terra was very protective of the chores he shared with her, holding on to her debt for the day he needed it.

But she had enough silence to last a week, and she had no Terra in her life like she used to, and to grasp what little she had left, Aqua couldn't help herself.

Following them was the easiest choice she had made in a while.

Ven's door was wide open, its only light shining down the hallway as all of the other bedrooms, hers and Terra's included, were vacant.

Hiding behind the wall, she peeked inside.

Ven sat on the bed, tucking his knees in. He gazed out at the stars, leaning his entire weight on the marble windowsill to the point that he would fall over if there wasn't a window in his way. Terra tossed toys aside - stuffed animals, wooden blocks, plastic cars, blankets, and all sorts of trinkets from random worlds that used to belong to him. Pretty soon, she expected the Master to give the same courtesy and get Ven new things from the worlds he visited.

"Gotta make the bed," Terra said, pulling Ven from his armpits.

He flung Ven around, in circles, fast enough to make Ven's feet pick up in the momentum, like he was flying, whirling like an umbrella caught in a storm.

It was only Terra that laughed, but if Ven didn't like it, he'd whimper.

If anything, Aqua's heart thumped at the sight. Terra was always strong, so picking up a boy half his weight was no big deal. The way he interacted with Ven was sweet and courteous, something she admired and respected.

But it was the laughter that hit her the hardest. She didn't realize how much she missed it.

"Okay," Terra said, slowing to a stop. "That's enough."

He landed Ven by the table, and went on to make the bed (poorly, he rushed it).

Aqua finally stepped through. "Can I hang out?"

"If it's not intruding on your personal time." Terra measured the bedsheet with the comforter, aligning the two. He was surprised to see her, and he gave her a half-smirk. Even that made her draw heat to her ears.

"It's not."

Ven rummaged through his drawers, pulling out paper and jars of paint. Finger painting had become his favorite pastime, and despite Aqua offering numerous paint brushes to encourage such an interest, he refused all of them.

"Then you are welcome in my presence," Terra said, lazily layering the sheets onto the bed.

She sat next to Ven, watching him twist the jars open.

Before he started… "Ven," she said, "can you draw me a picture of where you're from?"

"That's a good idea." Terra left the bed and the rest of the mess, looking over Ven's shoulder.

"Hi," Ven said. It wasn't inquisitive, it wasn't confused. The way he said it made him sound content, even if he can't smile, like a zombie who loved art.

"Yes, hi," Aqua said, running a light hand through his hair. She tapped at the blank page. "Can you do that for me?"

Ven took a moment to stare at the blank page. He opened a jar of rusty orange, and dipped his finger in, making huge sweeps across the bottom of the page.

His finished painting was very basic: a mass of orange and brown, with a tall plateau in the background.

In fact, Terra stammered, like he expected there to be more.

Aqua looked hard. It offered no other clues. "It looks like a desert."

Terra cocked his head. "I didn't think about that."

"Where are the houses?"

"... It's creepy."

"There aren't any people around, either."

Terra sighed. "Maybe he doesn't remember them."

Her heart sank.

"I'm glad you found us, Ven," she said, giving him a smile that he didn't return.

"Hi."

She sighed, too. She was about to ask if he could draw his old friends, but she didn't want to make him upset. Eraqus only took children who had no family left, and despite that it had been years since she arrived, she had to be in a specific mood to be able to talk about her parents. She probably already exhausted all of her strength talking about them with Terra.

"Come on, Ven," she said sweetly. His eyebrows curled up, like he was lost and was waiting for someone to find him. She got the gut-wrenching feeling that his painting made him upset. It was the way he hung his head. "Let's wash up."

She guided him by his elbow to the washroom.

"Do you think we could take him out?" Terra asked before they reached the door.

"What do you mean?"

"Outside."

She stopped. Ven stopped as well, looking up at her with his hands in the air as though he wasn't allowed to wash his wands. "The Master said we shouldn't take him outside."

"It's not like we're letting him explore the woods. The gardens are safe." Terra leaned onto one of the chairs, one hand on his hip. "We'll keep watch over him."

"But the Master-"

"Do you actually think," Terra frowned, "it's good for him to be locked inside the castle at all hours?"

Aqua paused. She wanted to say that if the Master thought Ven should stay in the castle, then it was for good reason… But _what_ reason?

"I want him to enjoy himself," Terra said quietly, looking over at the lonely picture on the table. A thought passed through Aqua's mind that they should trash it. "We can each hold his hand so he doesn't wander off."

If they were both holding on to him, then surely…

"Okay."

She placed a hand behind Ven's shoulder to continue on their way.

"Hey." Terra was skeptical, both hands leaning back on the chair now. "He knows how to wash his hands."

She rolled her eyes - she honestly had more dignity than that. "He still needs supervision."

Terra clicked his tongue. "It doesn't count as payment."

"Of course it won't. I don't cheat." She pointed her nose up at him.

She led Ven to the sink. He was taught to scrub in between his fingers, and to focus under his fingernails. When he was finished, she pointed to her own cheek - there was a spot of paint left on his, and he turned the water on again to finish the job.

Only when Ven put on a clean shirt did Terra take his left hand and Aqua his right. They walked him to the back entrance of the castle, where golden gates designed with grape and vine filigree were kept locked.

Two lamps marked the outside entrance to the gardens, which were split in two by a concrete pathway that stopped at the fields beyond, where evergreen trees cloaked the horizon. It was a clear night, with gentle winds blowing.

"It's a little nippy," Aqua said, checking on Ven to see if he was shivering. He wasn't, but she adjusted his shirt to cover his chest properly anyway (it already was, she was being paranoid).

"Let's stop here," Terra said, taking a seat onto the steps the led down into the flower bed.

They held Ven tightly, and when he sat down with him, they didn't let go.

"Look, Ven," Terra said, pointing up into the sky.

It took a moment for Ven to look up since he was mesmerized by towers of speedwell flowers and strawberry vines.

But when he followed, a loud "Woooohhhh" left his lips.

And he smiled. He laughed. He laughed harder as he leaned back to look for the stars that disappeared behind the castle, and to the left to find more stars beyond the mountains. There wasn't a way to count all of them.

Aqua cried for the second time, when that was something she promised never to do again. Exchanging a hand for the one that held Ven's, she wrapped her free arm around his shoulders and listened to him giggle, felt him hop in excitement under her weight.

A stronger arm held over her and Terra's head rested on hers, while a young boy shook their hands so they could pay attention and look up, too.

* * *

The next morning, Ven woke up with a cough.

He also had a runny nose and a fever. Aqua tucked him under fleece blankets up to his chin for the chills.

Terra went straight to work in the kitchen, mixing lemongrass and sage into his chicken broth for the symptoms. He refused help from Aqua.

Aqua knew what he was doing to himself. "It's not your fault, Terra."

Terra didn't reply. He continued to stir with his ladle.

"I can slice some oranges for him-"

"Aqua, I said I'll handle it." He glanced at her. "I'm not adding to your chore debt, don't worry."

"That has nothing to do with anything." She pursed her lips. Sometimes when Terra got upset, he needed space - a lot of it - but she already spent so much time away from him. She watched the meat boil from over his shoulder. "Would it make you feel better if I didn't say, _I told you so_?"

He smirked. "You have every right."

"It is good to be right." She fiddled with her nails, and he smiled. Good. "But I still won't say it."

"I got what I wanted, so I've already said it to myself." He added more pepper.

"We all get sick. It was going to happen anyway."

"...There's still more for me to do," Terra said with a low voice. "I have to make amends."

She highly doubted that Ven would be the kind of boy to blame Terra for this, but she let it go.

Terra asked her to stay by Ven's side for the time being. She spent the entire day with Ven - Terra would check in every now and then, taking laps between the kitchen and the library as he continued to look up herbs for common colds that he could sneak into food, and even magical ingredients that could speed up the process.

By night, Terra had visited the bedroom only five times for ten minute sessions. Aqua found it hard to believe that researching tea would swallow this much time but Terra liked to be thorough.

Ven took to folding paper in his hands into disfigured halves when he finished his third bowl of soup and got bored of other toys.

Terra came in, this time with sacks filled with bed pillows and couch pillows and throw pillows, some plain, others embroidered.

"We're building a pillow fort," he announced.

He left and came back with blankets, clothespins, string, and broken broomsticks. Ven watched on as they went to work hanging and pinning the sheets around his bed, making a deep, tall cave.

"Lights?" Aqua asked as they pinned the last of them.

"Got it covered," Terra said, a triumphant smile on his face.

Coming back with a lamp and a cardboard box, he announced the pillow fort was ready.

They crawled onto Ven's bed and pinned the open side of the blankets to a close. With the lit lamp, Terra covered it with the cardboard box, which had several holes cut into it.

A slew of five-pointed stars covered the entire fort. They were symmetrical and slick, as though Terra took the time to sandpaper his carved art.

It made Ven happy, especially since he was able to run his hand against the fabric and trace their shapes, one by one.

Aqua was warm - not just from sitting under so many blankets, but from the gesture. Terra always had a big heart, even though he was too reclusive to show it. He was sensitive, and yes, he took things too personally sometimes, but that was part of his charm.

If anyone had harmed someone he was close to, he'd feel their pain and take it personal with them.

Building a pillow fort was the sort of thing Terra would do when she fell sick, too. She still had the custom cardboard box he carved for her when he was eleven.

"This is beautiful, Terra," she said softly.

Terra hugged his knee tightly and bowed his head.

"I didn't mean to make you sick," he said, watching Ven jab at a star, totally forgetting they were even there. "I'm so sorry, Ven."

Ven looked at him with a toothy smile. "I'm so sorry, Ven," he parroted, sounding happy like he didn't fully understand what it meant.

Aqua was strong enough to hold back the tears this time.

* * *

The moment she was jerked awake from a dream she didn't remember, she knew it was going to be an unusual day.

"Terra," she spit. "What do you want?"

"I need your help."

She sprung up, throwing her legs over the bed. "What happened to Ven?"

"Nothing, he's not awake yet." Terra shrugged and turned over to leave.

"Ugh," she groaned, slugging over her feet to follow. "Then… why?"

"We got a message from the Master." He didn't look back but hurried into his own bedroom, throwing himself onto the floor to grab his clean clothes and stuff them into his bottom dresser drawer. "He's coming."

Aqua sighed. "Thank goodness." Then she perked up. "I can't wait for him to see Ven's progress." Then she worried. "Oh no, he'll notice he's sick."

"Yeah, that's-" Terra looked over his shoulder, and found one sock. "It'll be fine. But I need you to help me clean."

She scoffed. "Seriously? Feeding Ven is so much more important."

"He's not awake yet." Terra gesticulated like he was begging. "You owe me a chore debt, don't forget that."

"And _this_ is your idea of a brilliant payment?"

" _Aqua_."

She exhaled through her nose and brought herself down on her knees. She wondered if Terra liked to annoy her just because he thought it was funny.

The way he was overstuffing his drawer made her eyebrow twitch - they were all going to get wrinkled. Instead of helping him pick up anything else, she folded everything he put away.

"Why is this an emergency?" she asked with the sarcasm she wanted to slap him with.

"My nanny is coming."

She stopped folding. "You had a nanny?"

Terra chuckled, crawling around the carpet to grab more random pieces of clothing, handing her two pairs of briefs. "Before you came, yeah. The Master wasn't going to leave me all alone in a castle when I was six."

"She's the witch who's going to perform miracles on Ven?" Aqua pulled out the matching sock which was hidden behind a roll of shirts.

"Yep." Terra watched the window. For what sign, she didn't know.

"If it's so important to have your room clean," she said, opening a drawer he just closed to fold the clothes he threw in there, "why didn't you plan for it ahead of time?"

She heard him gasp. The wind outside was picking up speed, pushing against the windows. "She's here," he said, scurrying on his feet and racing out of his room. "We should wake up Ven and get him ready."

It would have left his bedroom half messy but Aqua considered her debt paid.

They found him sneezing to the point that his mucus ran down to his lips, and Aqua cleaned him up with a tissue. Terra scuffled to throw random toys into a chest, even though some of them belonged on the shelf - anything to make it look cleaner. Ven didn't have a fever anymore, and Terra guided him to stand up.

Aqua was going to ask what kind of nanny were they expecting, only to hear two voices approaching.

"We will of course accommodate you with the most extravagant room we can offer." That was the Master's voice. "Right next to the boy's room."

He and his guest didn't bother to stop in the lounge or the dining room to wind down, instead they came straight here. Upon entering, the woman took a slow, condescending look around the chaos of a bedroom. The most remarkable thing about her was her black boater hat, adorned in flowers. She had incredibly perfect posture, pinned up in a long petticoat, and she parted her feet wide enough to look like it hurt. This woman must have traveled a lot: in one hand was a huge carpet bag, and in the other was an umbrella.

"Terra," said the woman, "how lovely it is to see you again." She spoke kindly… yet not too casual or inviting. Aqua had the immediate impression that this woman, however warm, was not to be messed with.

"Ms. Poppins." Terra bowed.

"Aqua," the Master said. "This is Mary Poppins, she will be taking care of Ventus until he is clear of his illness."

"It's good to meet you," Aqua said, also bowing.

"Very cordial, you've raised them well, Eraqus." Mary Poppins left her bag and umbrella on the desk to remove her hat and scarf.

The Master stepped forward, inspecting Ven closely. "Everything went smoothly, I presume?" Terra and Aqua threw the quickest glances at each other as they could. "How are you, Ventus?"

Ven sneezed. "I'm so sorry, Ven," he said, wiping his nose with his forearm.

"Pardon?"

Aqua jittered. She hated lying, and hated the fact that she was getting better at it. "W-we opened the windows for him one night to give him some fresh air." She rolled her lips inward. "That was a bad idea, we're sorry."

Terra struggled to hide a smirk, and Aqua really wanted to step on his foot for being such a bad influence on her.

The Master didn't seem concerned about it, petting through Ven's hair. "'Tis a seasonal thing. I am happy to hear that Ventus is speaking at least."

"I'm so sorry, Ven," said Ven again, louder this time.

"Eraqus," Mary Poppins said, tisking at Ven's condition and taking a measuring tape with her. "All this time, I believed you were exaggerating, yet I was so suspicious of myself for even considering that of you."

The Master chuckled, giving her space. "I am ever the serious one."

"To a fault." She measured Ven with the tape from crown to foot. "Don't slouch."

Ven grabbed the tape. "Hi."

"Now, Ventus," she said firmly. "A respectable young gentleman keeps his hands to himself."

" _Ven_ ," he said, drawing his hand back. "I'm so sorry, _Ven_."

Plucking the tape with her thumb, she read: "Sweet-natured, yet disturbed and shocked. Unable to recall where he is. Broken-hearted."

There was no way a measuring tape told her this. What in the world…?

Ms. Poppins tisked, shaking her head. "Terrible condition, this will not do." Turning to the Master, she nodded. "I will stay until he grows a proper notch."

"It is much appreciated." Eraqus wrapped his arms across each other. "Terra, Aqua, thank you for looking after Ven. Your hard work has shown excellent progress, and I am confident Ms. Poppins will be able to lead him to proper health."

"Sir." They bowed.

The Master rubbed his beard. "You may now be dismissed. Please focus on your training for today. I have been wary of being away without supervising your work for this long."

"Master?" Aqua asked, lagging behind while Terra immediately followed orders. "Will Ven stay with us?"

Eraqus paused at his mustache. Mary Poppins was already uncorking an unlabeled medicinal bottle and preparing a spoon.

"Of course he will," the Master said. "Granted he will completely recover, I aim to train him as a Keyblade wielder."

It brought Aqua some relief, yet it did little for the unease left in her stomach. It meant she had to give Ven away to others to be looked after. It meant not knowing what he was doing, or if his coughing got better, or where he was at all hours.

Mary Poppins poured medicine onto the spoon, and Ven didn't even reject it. He treated Terra's teas worse.

"You've heard the Master," Mary Poppins said after a second too long of Aqua staying in her place. She corked her bottle. "You are welcome to visit when you are finished, but you'll get nowhere dawdling all day. Spit spot."

The authority in her voice kicked Aqua into speed as she hurried out to the ballroom.

But Terra wasn't very interested in sparring, either. He barely put effort into it, letting his mind wander in between stances and quick duels - especially when they got too repetitive. They were so mindless about their work that they didn't even scar the gold floor tiles this time.

"Let's focus," Aqua said. "If we finish what we need to do faster, we can make sure Ven's okay."

"Hm?" Terra rested Earthshaker on his shoulder and a hand on his hip. "Ven's definitely going to be okay. I'm not worried about that - it's just weird being away from him."

Aqua let her smile fall. "... I am," she said quietly.

"Don't be." Terra's smile was just like she was used to: sincere, but timid. Nothing like what he was showing when they were hanging out with Ven. "Ms. Poppins… has her ways."

"What kind of witch is she?"

"Don't call her that. She'll deny it." He scoffed. "She's a prim and proper lady, and she won't make you forget that."

"But she's good at what she does?"

"Definitely." Terra let his smile soften. "I hated it when the Master left, but she always made it better. We went on so many adventures in the castle."

That was hard for Aqua to believe - and not just because she couldn't imagine a prim and proper lady getting her dress dirty. They had addressed each other so formally, like she was just as much of a Master as Eraqus or Xehanort that Terra needed to show obedience to.

Terra read her expression well. "She's a bit strict and old-fashioned, but you'll see," he said like it was a good enough explanation.

"Ah." Aqua leaned Rainfell onto the floor. "That's why the Master gets along with her."

Terra snorted.

They were finally allowed to see Ven later that night - but only after the Master sat them down for three excruciating tests. Aqua performed poorly in one because she didn't have Terra as a sparring partner, and Terra failed two because he was too busy to read his mandatory textbooks.

The Master promised not to count any of it against them, and they would have re-testing done in the upcoming weeks.

* * *

"He likes the stars, Ms. Poppins," Terra said when they found her sitting on a rocking chair with yarn and a crochet needle on her lap.

It was a bit disappointing to see that she completely tore down the pillow fort they had made.

Ven paced around his room attempting to snap his fingers, and Aqua didn't understand why or how he learned how to do that.

"Very well." Ms. Poppins looked down on her handiwork before getting distracted. "Ven, kindly sit yourself in bed, please. You can diddle-daddle once you are better."

Instead of listening to her, Ven leaned on her armrest, tilting his head at the sight of yarn. "Hi."

She exhaled through her nose as though snorting was beneath her. "I shall teach you to address your peers properly, soon enough."

"Ms. Poppins," Terra said, "he's okay to walk around, right?"

"Terra," she warned, with a glint of mischief in her eyes, "mind your intentions."

He smirked. "I do. I'm responsible."

She let go of her work to open up her arms, Ven picking up one of the tails of yarn.

If she didn't believe Terra, Aqua couldn't blame her.

She didn't know Ms. Poppins well. Aqua didn't have a clue how to approach the subject, and she found herself with both her fists to her chest. "We haven't been with him all day. Can we spend some time with him, please?"

Ms. Poppins watched Ven untangle all of her progress, to the point where she would have to crochet from scratch. "I suppose that's alright. You can take him but he needs to be back in bed before the hour. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Terra said, gently pulling knots of yarn woven over Ven's fingers.

"Be sure to follow the stars on your way out," Ms. Poppins said as they left.

Which left a chill up Aqua's spine, stiffening the ends of her hairs. Did she know somehow?

That had to be impossible.

"What did she mean by that?" she asked Terra, taking Ven down the largest hallway that would eventually lead them to the center of the castle. The further they walked, the darker the hallways became, with barely a lit lantern to light their way. It was as if someone turned off all the lights.

Terra scoffed at the sight of Aqua's worry. "I told you not to think too hard about it. She always means well."

He stopped, holding his free hand to his chin as Ven pulled on his other. "Usually there's some pretty awesome surprises. Maybe we should find a good place to stargaze?"

"She said to follow the stars, though."

"Like constellations?" Terra snapped his fingers, which mesmerized Ven's attention. "Maybe the north star. We should go to the north side of the castle."

Aqua didn't quite hear that last part. Right past Terra's shoulder was a glowing light that twinkled up against the wall, riding it up.

"What is that?" she said.

Ven gasped and charged with such a force that he slipped off their grip. He touched it, and it burst into a cascade of shining lights that hit the floor and spread outward.

The floor darkened to a navy blue, and the lights continued to split into halves, until they formed an arrangement that covered the entire hallway, snuffing out the last lanterns as they traveled.

She heard a soft laugh. Terra's. "Stars."

"She's so cool," Aqua said, touching a cluster of lights by her feet and watching them thrust outward.

"I knew you would say that."

They followed, hopping on clusters of stars until they exploded in all sorts of directions. If Aqua swiped her hand upward on the wall, they would spread across the ceiling.

When they approached the stairs, the stars would clump together and take the shape of steps so they wouldn't mistake them and tumble down.

It was like adventuring in the sky.

They traveled from a nebula in the entrance hall, where they searched for hidden stars...

… All the way to the meteor shower that rained in the ballroom, trying to catch them before they disappeared into the tiles.

The only room that stayed the same was the Master's office, where he obsessed over papers on his desk and trusted one lamp to light his way. To Aqua, it looked like he was reading in outer space, yet he never noticed.

By the time they made it back around to the bedrooms, the stars they first activated had formed their own galaxy, and they spent what little time they had left to name each one. Ven named each of his as "Ven."

* * *

Aqua was just about to turn off her bedside lamp when the door knocked.

Terra let himself in and shut it behind him. He had a piece of paper. "You should see what Ven painted."

Sitting on her bed, he handed it over. Finger paints of very rough outlines of human figures - one blue, one short one that was green, and one tall one that was orange - took the space on the bottom. Above them was an uneven mess of dark blue with white fingerprints that made up the stars.

Aqua was too tired to really giggle but the painting made it easier for her. "It's us." She hid her face behind it. "It's like the one you made me a long time ago, remember?"

"Shut up." He looked away from her and buried his face in his hand.

"I still have it."

"Of course you do." He squirmed, grabbing his thighs. "You should keep this one, then. Keep them together."

She let it rest on her lap. "It's going to be nice… to have a new student."

"I can't wait to see what his Keyblade looks like."

"Or what he can do with it."

Terra leaned back. "He's so small, but he's tough."

Aqua took one more look at the painting, then placed it on her bedside table. "He's brave, too."

She started to snuggle into her bed, digging herself into her bedsheets. She expected Terra to get the hint and turn off the lights for her when he left.

But he joined her instead.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

He made himself comfortable and laid on his side to face her. He had a sheepish smile on his face, and he fiddled with his hands under the sheet. His voice trembled the slightest when he said it, but what he meant reached his eyes: "I've missed you."

The tips of her ears flared up. Soon enough, her cheeks would burn red so she saved face by dragging her sheets up to her nose. Her heart pounded, which wasn't helping.

Sleeping in each other's beds used to be the norm when they were little, a long time ago.

"Really?" she said.

The way she was behaving made him a little uncomfortable. As if to mimic her, he pulled the sheets to rest right under his chin, packing on blankets in between their bodies as though they were doing something they shouldn't be doing.

"Yeah." He tried to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal. "It's been a long time since we really talked."

Aqua thought all this time things were changing forever. It seemed like all the grown ups she ever had a chance to talk to had lost their best friends, so now it was her time. It was a part of life, and whatever came their way, she had to accept it.

With or without Ven, it wasn't like they could talk like they used to anymore, anyway.

It was a few months ago that she kissed Terra for the first time.

She didn't mean much by it. At least she didn't think.

It really embarrassed him, though. When she sought him out to talk about it, all he did was shrug a shoulder and said _You're the most ridiculous person I've ever met, Aqua_ , and stared at a book he wasn't actually reading.

Like it was all a joke to him.

They never spoke about it since.

"I felt the same," she whispered.

If it comforted him, she didn't know. "Can I stay here for a while?"

She blushed.

Hard.

She kept it hidden behind fabric, so he wouldn't see. "Mm, sure." Whatever she was feeling, she wasn't sure if she liked it or not. It made her excited, and yet it was too overwhelming to define.

This was the worst time to be thinking about that kiss.

"But we are a little old for sleepovers, don't you think?" she added, trying to stall this insane rush of thoughts.

"I guess so." He was disappointed.

"You can stay tonight." She rolled over her shoulder to face away from him.

"Thanks." There was rustling and movement behind her. More space opened up between them, and he flicked the light switch off before settling. "Good night," he chirped.

All night, she stayed cemented to her side of the bed. Terra laid on his back, his hands interlaced on his chest, and he never moved either.

She fell asleep expecting to crawl around him in the morning.

But she was alone when she woke up.

The first person she greeted was none other than Ven, who was waiting for her in the dining room. Terra sat on the floor right by his side.

"Hi!" Ven's voice echoed in the enormous metal pot he wore on his head.

Terra burst into laughter. "He loved it so much, I had to give it to him."

"Ven?" Aqua pulled up from the rim, peeking under. Ven's eyes shined in the dark.

"I'm so sorry, Ven," said Ven.

"I'm sorry for you, too." She heaved with breath at the sight, changing silent looks of sheer hysteria with Terra as Ven banged on his own pot, the sound of clanging echoing.

The door to the dining room slammed. "Look lively, children," Ms. Poppins said. She kept her hands crossed over her waist and headed straight for the kitchen, adorning an apron. "The Master is coming."

Terra and Aqua immediately sprung, lifting Ven by the elbows so he could follow suit. With the Master here, Ven had a long way to go with learning how to pay respects.

"Ven," Ms. Poppins scoffed. "Such behavior. Take that out of your head, please."

He slowly followed orders and let the pot hang in his hands, a sad frown on his face.

"Ms. Poppins," Aqua called, watching the nanny command appliances in the kitchen telepathically. The teapot brewed without notice, and the eggs in the saucepan fried with just a glance. "Thank you for the trip last night. It was wonderful."

Mary Poppins looked shocked. "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about." She left Aqua gaping to tend to the flour.

Terra shrugged at before letting his smile reach his eyes. He loved it when he was right.

"Told you," he said.

"Think you're so clever?" she shot back.

"Of course he is," Ms. Poppins said, and Aqua squirmed at the thought she was being overheard. "I remember to the word what his measurement read when I first met him."

Terra hesitated to say something, like he was bracing for impact.

"Diligent, sensitive," Ms. Poppins, recited from memory, motioning to Ven to help her prepare plates though he didn't understand. "Cheeky. Keeps a messy room and lies about cleaning his room."

Aqua snorted.

She kept ' _I told you'_ to herself, but just this one last time.


End file.
